Arthritis pain - help

Having just posted about being free of afib, I am now contending with what appears to be rheumatoid arthritis - painful swelling and red nodules on the joints of my hands, pain in my hips, knees, and feet. It is especially bad in my hips at night.

I have had minor signs of it in my hands ever since I was about 25, but all of a sudden (two days after having an endoscopy) I feel like a fire storm has struck my body.

I want to avoid going on drugs, so am being extra careful about food intolerances that I have to wheat and dairy. I got off that diet when a very fancy bakery/ cafe opened nearby. 99% of what they serve in the cafe is based on extraordinarily good bread. (I wonder if just being in a place that uses wheat around the clock could cause proplems for someone who is wheat/gluten intolerant). I am also avoiding vegetables in the nightshade family - tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, eggplant.

I am taking Zyflammend, fish oil and Bromelain (pineapple) supplements around the clock trying to get on top of it.

Do any of you have any thoughts and suggestions? Jackie?



Carol

Carol, how much zyflamend and how often? I have actually matched zyflamend dosage to the frequency of taking pain medication, ie, if i took 2 aspirin i also took 2 extra zyflamend - and got no side effect other than pain relief. I went from crutch use one morning to walking without even a cane the next , this last knee episode. I like this and i hope it affects you the very same way.

Peggy M

Carol

So my friend who gave me the earthing book to read - see: <[www.afibbers.org]; told me she has rheumatoid arthritis. Since she's been sleeping on a grounded sheet, she says it is much better. Reading more of the book, the common theme is that being electrically grounded to the earth reduces inflammation and also helps with free radicals. I was intrigued enough to get a sheet and try it, but have only slept on it one night. The first report from my wife and me is that we both think we slept better. My wife normally gets up one or more times a night and did not. I slept better, too. Now one night is certainly too early to tell, but it does agree with the anecdotes in the book.

I got our sheet here: [www.shop.earthing.net]

Additionally, I use a recording heart rate monitor when I meditate. I count premature beats to see how "happy" my heart is. This morning, the count was 0 PVC's or PAC's in 30 minutes. Now it is possible that this is chance. I typically have one or two in that time, but zero is also possible.

I plan to give a fuller account once I've got more experience.

It is possible to make your own for very little money. This is what the author did when testing out the idea.

George

Thanks Peggy,

Have you tried taking Zyflammend alone?

Carol

Carol - Yes.... adhere very strictly to a gluten free diet. Elevated antibodies are related to gluten. You have to get serious about this commitment... the damage from antibodies is serious stuff. It's good to be off casein proteins as well.

I'd definitely start taking MSM as well. Start with 1000 mg several times a day.... most people find relief of symptoms when taking 5 mg daily.

I just recently posted on the properties of MSM.

Sorry to hear about this latest development and the crippling pain. I'd throw a variety of anti-inflammatories at it but being strict with gluten avoidance is a key issue. You can monitor your progress with the ANA profile testing as well as relief from your symptoms. Can take several months.

Jackie

Yes, that is how i got rid of an old whiplash injury, never treated in any other way.
PeggyM

George,

This earthing "thing" sounds hugely interesting. Please keep us up to date on further "happenings". Judi and I have cerainly noted that our sleep is much deeper and truly restorative when we have a little "snooze" directly on the ground during a day-long hiking trip.

Hans

Earth energy is grounding and stabilizing. My Reiki instructor says to go out and walk barefoot on the ground and also to lie on your back on the ground for this effect. Others suggest either facing or placing your back to a large tree or a large boulder for a similar effect. She always goes out for a gounding session after she's given Reiki treatments so she can get rid of the negative energy she picks up during treatment. Weather, permitting, obviously.

Jackie

George,

Sounds intriguing.

Can you tell us what the blanket is like?

Do you plug it in? ( I saw what looked like a cord going into an outlet beside the mattress in the illustration)

What is the sheet made of?

Do you have to sleep on the floor or can you sleep in your bed on your regular mattress?

Thank you.
Carol

Carol,

The sheet is a normal cotton sheet, but has conductive silver threads. Mine came with a device to check a three prong outlet to make sure the ground plug was grounded (& not wired incorrectly to a "hot" lead). It also came with a spike with a wire you could put into the earth as an alternative for a house with ground wires. The wire to the house ground plug (the center plug below the two "hot" plugs) or the spike snap onto the sheet.

I purchased a "half sheet" that goes across the bottom half of our bed. You sleep as normal, with skin touching the grounded sheet.

The inventor started out with conductive tape from the hardware store & made sleeping pads himself. The commercial models have some protection for current gone bad, so I'd be careful making something & sticking into house wiring. If I made it myself, I'd probably ground it to a water pipe or a pipe in the earth.

The author points out that walking barefoot outside works too, or sleeping on the earth.

In one anecdote, they gave a sheet to an MS patient. She did much better. Then she went on vacation without sheet. Didn't get worse. So they asked her where she went & what she did on vacation. She went to Baja Mexico & spent the entire time barefoot on the beach or in the water. So that works just as well.

Most of us don't do this.

Here is more info:

[www.earthinginstitute.net]
[www.earthinginstitute.net]
[www.earthinginstitute.net]

[www.earthinginstitute.net]

They also think this may make blood less likely to clot. If you do this on warferin, check your INR to make sure it doesn't go up too high.

George

Are you grounded if you walk on pavement barefoot, or does it have to be dirt?

Lisa

Lisa,

I would say yes, though the best connection would most likely be damp grass or earth.

George

Lisa - my guru says - only natural surfaces like dirt or grass. Jackie

Jackie,

Too bad. I have a very hard time on grass/dirt due to nerve damage from three surgeries for a fractured (smashed) calcaneus. I never wear shoes unless it's too cold.

I want a guru, too :-)

Lisa

Lisa,

I'm guessing one could measure the electrical potential (using a voltmeter) between your body and ground whilst standing on various materials. If I have time, I may try this.

George

George,

I have one in the garage, but I'm guessing it won't be sensitive enough to measure anything, since It's designed for car batteries and household current. I'll check.

Maybe there is one that is calibrated for current on much more minute level.

Lisa

Hi Lisa,

So I set up an experiment. Got heavy duty outdoor grounded extension cord. Plugged it into an outlet & used the 3 prong outlet tester to make sure I had a good ground [www.summitsource.com]. Got a digital multimeter and set it on the 2V DC setting. Put the negative lead into the ground outlet on the extension cord. Held the positive lead tightly in my hand.

1. Wearing tennis shoes (essentially insulated) - no reading, bounced around between positive & negative & never settled down.
2. Sitting on resin char (essentially insulated) - no reading, bounced around between positive & negative & never settled down.
3. Standing barefoot (with sweaty feet) on concrete - 0.20 V
4. Standing barefoot on grass - .175 V
5. Standing barefoot on dirt - .175 V
6. Standing barefoot on carpet on top of wood floor - no reading, bounced around between positive & negative & never settled down.
7. Sitting on top of bedspread - no reading, bounced around between positive & negative & never settled down.
8. Sitting with bare leg on grounded sheet - .05 V (extension cord plugged into same outlet as sheet).

My conclusion is that grass, earth and concrete (slab on grade) give essentially same result, and grounded sheet also works. May have given lower answer because cord and sheet plugged into same outlet.

George

That would be resin chair not char!

Hello George,

Most interesting experiment. I did something similar. Sat in my usual chair and then measured my potential to ground (the copper water inlet pipe). I used the AC setting instead of the DC setting as I figured that the current induced by 60 HZ house wiring would be alternating. The potential to earth was pretty steady at about 1000 mV. I then placed my bare feet on a grounded copper plate. The reading went to 0.8 mV - a 1000 times reduction. Actually, it felt quite good and after about 15 minutes my feet were toasty warm.

I find this a most fascinating subject and will move it to the Conference Room if you think we can keep the discussion going.

Hans