Cure Arthritis with Fish Oil

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Wednesday, October 31st, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed

by Mabel Dugmore

Every day, patients are diagnosed with arthritis, but it is by no means a “new” condition. On the contrary, arthritis has an ancient history. Even still, despite the fact that medical professionals have spent centuries developing newer and better treatments, one arthritis remedy holds almost archaic qualities.

While there are more than one hundred different types of arthritis, most of them share similar chronic, painful symptoms: swelling of the affected area, morning stiffness, sharp and throbbing pain, localized or widespread pain, and mild to severe loss of mobility.

Just as arthritis presents itself in many different forms, patients are able to benefit from a wide range of treatment options. Modern arthritis treatments vary from conventional medicinal therapies, to alternative drug-free methods including specialized yoga. Every arthritis case is unique, so each treatment method may not bring relief to every patient.

Recently, there has been an interesting shift affecting the way that doctors treat patients with arthritis. Natural medicine is becoming more mainstream and alternative treatment methods are more readily available and accepted. One particular trend that is exciting doctors and nutritionists is the use of fish oil to treat arthritis.

Fish oil is known to be rich in two types of omega-3 fatty acids: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Both of these omega-3 fatty acids are highly respected and well documented for their abilities to reduce the inflammation associated with arthritis. These strong anti-inflammatory properties make fish oils a natural choice for arthritis sufferers. Of course, patients do have questions. Do fish oils work as arthritis treatments? More importantly, can fish oil actually relieve pain?

The problem with most alternative medicine therapies is that they are relatively new, and lack sufficient medical and scientific research needed to provide definite proof. Fish oil is one of these treatments yet to be clinically proven effective. Early research findings, however, are encouraging.

Recent clinical trials and laboratory studies conclude that fish oil, because of its omega-3 structure, can be helpful in reducing morning muscle stiffness and joint pain that so many arthritis sufferers live with. Researchers have not yet concluded the appropriate dosage required for maximum effectiveness, nor how the fish oil treatment program should last.

Patients should be aware of the potential side effects of taking fish oil for arthritis:

Clotting

In some cases, fish oil has created risks by affecting the blood’s clotting abilities. In other words, some patients may find that fish oil affects the time it takes for the blood to clot. In cases where the patient is already taking medication to affect the clotting of blood, this is an important issue to consider.

Blood Pressure

Fish oil supplements have also been shown to interact with blood pressure medications. It has been suggested that supplementing the diet wit fish oil while taking high blood pressure medications may cause the blood pressure to decrease significantly.

Natural Contaminants

Fish oil can pose a danger due to the significant levels of contaminants that may be present. The natural mercury level in fish can cause it to be an unsafe choice for some patients. Consuming fish oils may pose serious risk, particularly to young children and pregnant or nursing women. Fishes that typically contain the highest mercury levels are tuna, swordfish, king mackerel, tilefish and shark.

If you are considering taking fish oil supplements to treat arthritis, but you have concerns about the risks, avoid oils derived from those types of fish that are known to contain high levels of mercury. You’ll need to conduct some research, but the results are worth the efforts.

Arthritis patients should be aware of other potential concerns before starting fish oil therapy. Gas and other stomach disturbances can result from taking the supplements, but these are usually relatively minor.

There is certainly nothing new about arthritis, but alternative treatment options are promising new relief for patients. Speak with a trusted herbalist or your family doctor to find out more about fish oil and other alternative arthritis treatments.

About the Author:

Mabel Dugmore is a freelancer for numerous Internet magazines, on health discovery and birth doula topics. You can get a unique content version of this article.

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