Unproven Remedies for Arthritis.
Last updated Wednesday, January 05, 2005
About unproven remedies for arthritisProof is necessary Any unproven remedy--even a harmless one--can hurt you if it fails to control your arthritis.
Treatments for arthritis must show that they work and are safe.
Treatments that help arthritis must show in scientific tests that they
work by meeting one or more of the following goals:
- reduce pain
- reduce inflammation
- keep joints moving safely
- avoid stress damage to joints
- keep you independent
Treatments must also show how safe they are. The benefits of a
treatment in controlling arthritis should be greater than the risk of
unwanted or harmful effects on your health. "Harmless" remedies Even an unproven remedy that is harmless can be unsafe if it causes
you to stop or slow down treatments that control arthritis. Harmless
remedies include treatments that do not help arthritis but are probably
safe. Copper bracelets are one example.
Some unproven remedies may be unsafe or harmful in themselves.
Harmful remedies have a direct negative effect on your health. For
instance, DMSO can cause skin irritation and diarrhea.
Harmless remedies include:
- acupuncture
- copper bracelets
- mineral springs
- many topical creams
- gentle vibrators
- vinegar and honey
Possibly harmful remedies include:
- DMSO
- lasers
- large doses of vitamins
- snake venom
- drugs with hidden or unknown ingredients
Unknown remedies include:
- bee venom
- biofeedback
- special diets
- fish oil
- vaccines
- yucca
Much is unknown The effects and safety of many unproven remedies are unknown. Many have
not been studied. For instance, many of the special diets you read
about for arthritis are unproven because their effects and safety have
not been studied. Similarly, magnet therapy has not been proven to
work. Some treatments are new or experimental, which means they are
still being studied. For example, scientists are looking at the effects
of some anti-cancer drugs, such as interferon, on certain types of
arthritis. They are also studying drugs used in organ transplants, such
as cyclosporine. These studies weigh the benefits of new treatments in
controlling arthritis against the risk of possible damage to other
parts of the body.
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