As a practitioner of acupuncture and shiatsu in Portland, I frequently see clients who are suffering from some form of arthritis. Arthritis is a syndrome which describes a number of different diseases affecting the joints of the body.   Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are the most common types of arthritis affecting over 20 million people in the U.S.  Osteoarthritis usually involves the weight bearing joints and results from the gradual deterioration of joint cartilage.  Rheumatoid arthritis can come on more suddenly and can affect any of the joints of the body.  While the exact cause is unknown, the conventional medical view is that a malfunction of the immune system is at the root of many forms of arthritis.

From the perspective of ancient medicine of India and China, arthritis is considered an invasion from an outside pathogen or internal toxicity. In our modern society, the most common cause is diet and poor digestion.  There is an old saying that applies in this regard; “Food which is not digested becomes poison.”  Among the patients that I routinely see, food allergies, food intolerance and poor digestion play a significant role in joint disease.

Acupuncture and shiatsu, combined with herbal therapy, can definitely help to reduce pain and swelling, strengthen the digestion and assist the body to overcome outside pathogens.  But in most cases, the key to effective treatment is exercise and proper diet.

Below is a general guideline which I find to be helpful for most types of arthritis.  If these suggestions do not help, I suggest that you visit a specialist and consider a long term cleansing diet with short intervals of fasting.  But I want to emphasize that fasting and elimination diets should be done under the supervision of a trained professional.

General Guidelines for Arthritis

1) Keep weight in proper range for height and frame.

2) Avoid foods that cause inflammation for many people with arthritis. The most common problem foods are:

• sugar
• salt
• red meat
• dairy products
• wheat flour
• nightshade vegetables: eggplant, red peppers, tomatoes, white potatoes
• tobacco
• hydrogenated fats, i.e., margarine, shortening, most baked goods, etc.

Experiment by eliminating one of these foods at a time, for 14 days, to find out if any are a problem for you.

3) Exercise – Exercise daily for at least 20 minutes.  If exercise is not part of your daily routine, begin slowly and be careful to not over do it.  If vigorous exercise feels good to you, then favor bicycling, jogging, or other aerobic exercises.  Best to alternate with exercises that move all the joints of the body.  Bicycling, rowing and swimming are excellent “non-impact” exercises.

4) Avoid steroids and try to minimize use of non-steroid anti-inflammatory medication.

5) Drink plenty of luke warm or room temperature water between meals.  Body weight divided by 2.5 = ounces of pure water per day.  Try to drink water mostly between meals and not with meals.  Avoid cold drinks.

6) Important Supplements:

- Multi Vitamin – any one a day type is fine or as you preference dictates

- Vitamin C – 500 mg. twice per day with largest protein meal, if well tolerated

- Vitamin E – 400 I.U. per day

- Glucosamine Sulfate. Best product is Syn-Flex liquid at  www.activexamerica.com

- MSM crystals – Start with ¼ teaspoon and gradually work up to ½ teaspoon, one to two times per day

- Nordic Naturals Cod Liver Oil – 1 teaspoon or 5 capsules, 2 times per day. Order at 1-800-662-2544 or www.nordicnaturals.com

- Helpful herbs: Boswellia, Turmeric (Meriva) and Ginger. See your herbalist or your health care professional for specific compounds containing these herbs.

* Caution: If you are pregnant, currently taking blood thinning medication, have diabetes or a bleeding disorder, consult with your health care professional before taking fish oil supplements.

Thank you for visiting my blog. If you have questions about acupuncture and shiatsu, or if you have a specific health concern, please contact me at:

Bart Walton, L.Ac.
Licensed Acupuncture & Shiatsu
Portland, Oregon
503/939-5805

As an acupuncture and shiatsu practitioner in Portland, I am frequently asked about the value of eating an alkaline diet. There are many complex and expensive methods being touted as important ways to alkalize our diet and thus, improve our health. But in my opinion, the simplest methods are not only inexpensive but very effective. There’s no question that too many acids and acid producing foods are bad for our health. Here are 10 easy suggestions to alkalize your diet. Even if you can only follow 7 of these recommendations, you’ll be doing a lot to help maintain a healthy pH in your blood and tissues.

#1 — Drink plenty of pure filtered water, between meals. As a rule of thumb, it’s a good idea to drink 5 ounces of water for every 10 lbs of body weight. So, if you weigh 140lbs, that would be 70 ounces of pure water per day. Don’t waste your money on expensive water alkalizers. A simple and effective way to alkalize your water is with a pinch of sea salt or baking soda in every liter of water.

#2 Avoid coffee, black tea and sodas.

#3 In general, eat more fruits and vegetables and less bread, cheese, eggs and meat. In particular, celery is one of the most alkaline foods you can eat. Celery is high in water content and excellent for digestion and elimination.

#4 Switch from cow’s milk, to almond or oat milk. Cow milk produces a lot of mucous in the body and the proteins in the milk are highly allergenic and difficult for most adults to metabolize. Also most dairy cows are injected with growth hormones to increase milk production. Many of these hormones have potential side effects that can be passed on when consumed. The one exception to this would be 4 or 5 ounces of organic yogurt or kefir every day.

#5 Avoid artificial sweeteners such as NutraSweet, Sucralose, Aspartame, Canderel, AminoSweet and Saccharin. These are acidic and toxic on a number of levels. Stevia extract is a natural sugar substitute that has no reported side effects

#6 Eat a grapefruit in the morning before breakfast. Grapefruit has a high water content and is highly alkalizing. Eat one first thing in the morning, and wait 15 minutes before eating a carbohydrate or protein (one or the other do not mix).

#7 Eliminate consumption of red meat, pork, lamb. If you eat meat, favor chicken, turkey or fresh fish in small quantities. Red meats, pork and lamb are highly acidic and have a very low water content.

#8 Reduce stress daily by adding yoga, tai chi, meditation and deep breathing (Kriya Yoga). When the body moves into stress mode the digestive system shuts down and toxins cannot be eliminated. Anything we can do to calm the mind/body will help to alkalize the tissues.

#9 Drink a super green supplement every day. There are several good super greed supplements on the market, made from land or sea vegetables or blue-green algae. Super greens are nutrient dense and infuse the body with easily absorbed vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes and alkaline salts.

#10 – Minimize or avoid heavily processed and refined foods. These foods typically produce acids and our bodies have to work extra hard to eliminate the toxic residue they produce.

Thank you for visiting my blog. If you have questions about acupuncture and shiatsu, or if you have a specific health concern, please contact me at:

Bart Walton, L.Ac.
Licensed Acupuncture & Shiatsu
Portland, Oregon
503/939-5805