Alternative Medicine for Arthritis Pain Relief

Alternative therapies for arthritis range from A (acupuncture) to Z (zinc sulfate), with much in between -- from copper bracelets to magnets to glucosamine to yoga, to name just a few. But do alternative therapies for arthritis really work?

Many arthritis sufferers are looking into alternative therapies in an effort to find relief from the pain, stiffness, stress, anxiety, and depression that accompany the disease. Indeed, the Arthritis Foundation reports that two-thirds of those suffering from the disease have tried alternative therapies.

Some Work, Many Don't

A survey conducted for Arthritis Today by Leigh Callahan, PhD, reported that the favorite alternative therapies of the 790 arthritis sufferers who responded to the survey included everything from prayer and meditation to glucosamine and magnets. Callahn is associate director of the Thurston Arthritis Research Center at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Of the 2,146 physicians who responded to the survey, the alternative therapies most recommended were capsaicin, relaxation, biofeedback, meditation, journal writing, yoga, spirituality, tai chi, acupuncture, and glucosamine.

And some of these alternative treatments really work, say leading arthritis specialists, and even have scientific evidence behind them (although most doctors admit that more research is needed). On the other hand, many more of the alternative treatments don't work or need more studies to support anecdotal claims.