As a dietitian working in an acute care hospital for over 25 years, I saw many elderly patients who were taking over 10 prescription drugs per day.  That was before medical records were computerized, so there were many errors with drug interactions, overdoses, missed meds, and so on.  But that didn’t stop the medical profession from prescribing  more and more pills. It’s still going on today, with the average elderly person taking 14 different prescriptions. Hoping to avoid all this pharmacology, I  started looking into alternative therapies for my arthritis. Since I can’t tolerate Tylenol,  I took a lot of aspirin. But that can be dangerous, too. Finally, I’ve found a way to ease the pain naturally with turmeric, which  has potent anti-inflammatory properties. 

If you’ve eaten in Indian restaurants, you’ve probably had turmeric without knowing it.    It’s an ingredient in many Asian dishes, and imparts a golden yellow color.  It is a principal  ingredient in curry powder. Not everyone likes curry.  But even if you do, you probably can’t get enough in dishes containing the spice to help with pain.

According to the Mayo clinic,

“Turmeric’s main active component — curcumin — is what gives the spice its yellow color. Curcumin has anti-inflammatory properties, making it a potential treatment for a number of health conditions, including reduced pain and increased ease of movement in people with osteoarthritis. One study found that taking turmeric extract three times daily was comparable to taking a 1,200-milligram dose of ibuprofen daily. However, more research is necessary to confirm these effects.

Other research suggests that curcumin may reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels. In addition, it may lessen some of the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, such as joint swelling and morning stiffness. Other areas of investigation include curcumin’s effect on Crohn’s disease,  certain cancers, depression, diabetes, joint pain and irritable bowel syndrome. ”

The Arthritis Foundation suggests taking turmeric capsules (400 to 600 mg) 3 times per day.

Studies show that it takes about 4 weeks of taking turmeric before enjoying any real benefits. But my knees started feeling better after a week.  These knobby, arthritic knees are never going to run marathons, but they get me around, and the pain no longer keeps me awake at night.

If you have arthritis, try easing the pain with turmeric.