This information came from Dr. Christophers site:  www.HerbalLegacy.com where you can find general information on many illnesses and his herbal formulas. 

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Definition:

 

Arthritis is the swelling and tenderness of one or more of your joints. The main symptoms of arthritis are joint pain and stiffness, which typically worsen with age. The most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.  Osteoarthritis causes cartilage — the hard, slippery tissue that covers the ends of bones where they form a joint — to break down. Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease in which the immune system attacks the joints, beginning with the lining of joints.  Uric acid crystals, which form when there's too much uric acid in your blood, can cause gout. Infections or underlying disease, such as psoriasis or lupus, can cause other types of arthritis.

 

Cause:

 

Arthritis is caused by acids and waste matter in the body, which eventually become solidified and lock the joint. This condition is caused and aggravated by improper diet. Some of the worst foods are eggs, bread, milk, meat, salt, sugar, etc., because they cause arthritic calcification. The use of extremely hard water will often accentuate an arthritic condition where softer water will help relieve it. Sometimes an individual with a good inherent structure can throw off the hardest water without arthritic effect. The weaker person may drink water that is not very hard and absorb from it relatively larger quantities of the inorganic minerals.

 

Why use Dr. Christopher’s formulas vs prescription medication?

 

Our bodies can only assimilate (take in and fully understand & utilize) organic minerals from plants.  Prescription medications can be taken in and accepted by the body, but their inorganic minerals aren’t always able to be understood by the body, so they can end up lodged in our tissues throughout the body, thus causing side effects.  Whole herbs, like Dr. Christopher’s formulas, are 100% food which the body knows how to utilize so they don’t cause side effects.  Many herbs sold in health food stores contain other chemicals, fillers, and binders which can cause side effects similar to prescription drugs.

 

Can anything be done to totally eliminate arthritis?

 

Many people have had permanent relief from arthritis, not just temporary. When we speak of arthritis we speak of a general term.  Actually there are over forty different forms of this disease. They all stem back to a toxic condition of the body. The treatment of this condition must be from the point of reversing the cause by rebuilding the entire body to a higher non-toxic condition, beginning with rebuilding and cleaning the bowel. It is inevitable that when an arthritic person is badly constipated, the stiffness and pain are worse. The procedure is: (1) clean the bowel, and (2) detoxify the body by clearing the blood stream of poor blood, to have a good powerful flow of healthy blood coursing through the body delivering healthy nutrients and carrying off toxic waste.

 

The Best Foods to Eat:

 

Any whole, live, raw foods.  Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and legumes, nuts, seeds, and a small amount of wild fish or chemical free chicken or turkey.  Use steam distilled water which will keep inorganic minerals from being absorbed and help your body to detoxify.  Distilled water actually absorbs toxins in the body and helps to flush them out without affecting your organic minerals.  Chewing on fennel seeds stimulates saliva production, preventing dry mouth, which is an issue with Sjogren’s (a form of RA).

 

Foods to Eliminate/Reduce:

 

Salt, eggs, all refined sugars, meat, all milk and other dairy products, flours and flour products.

Do not be concerned because this diet limits meat and the commercial types of protein and don't worry about adding protein, as you will get all that you need in these foods. The gorilla is built on the same order as the human being, and he gets all the protein he needs from just fruits, nuts and seeds.

 

The best food to start the day is fresh fruit or a good low heated whole grain. This should be a cereal in its wholesome state (with life in it). It can be prepared in a thermos bottle: Take a thermos bottle, fill in the early afternoon or evening one-third full of whole grain (oat groats, etc.), then finish filling the thermos bottle with boiling distilled water. Turn the thermos over two or three times to mix the grain and water. The next morning the grain is sprouted and ready for consumption.

 

Although this diet can be challenging, the health and wellness that will result from following this diet is reward enough.

 

Herbal Aids for Arthritis Sufferers:

 

Dr. Christophers Lower Bowel Formula:

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This formula is a corrective food for the intestinal tract.  Well over ninety percent of all diseases and malfunctions stem from the unclean intestinal tract, constipation, with infrequent or difficult evacuation of the feces, retention of the feces, and lack of coordination in the nerve and muscle functions of the colon and bowel.

 

Begin with 2 capsules before bed, and if no bowel movement 1st thing in the morning, take 2 more capsules in the AM and 2 in the PM.  If there is still no bowel movement i the next AM, the next day take 2 capsules 3 times per day.  Increase the amount per day until you have reached 2-3 bowel movements per day.  You can even take 40 capsules per day if you need to.  Once the stool seems too loose, cut back slightly until you find the correct amount to have 2-4 bowel movements per day.  Everyone is different, so the number will vary.

 

Dr. Christopher's Joint Formula:  

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This combination consists of herbs that detoxify; act as a solvent to eliminate calcium deposits for the accepted but not assimilated calcium; herbs that relieve pain; herbs rich in new acceptable organic calcium that can be assimilated and useful; herbs that kill fungus and infection and that have the ability to give wonderful relief. This relief is not immediate because there may be a long rebuilding job, but gradual relief can come, and full healing, if the program is followed faithfully.  Generally, the tonic dose is 2 capsules 3 times per day, however, more can be taken in a crises.

 

Dr. Christopher’s Complete Tissue & Bone Formula:

 

The bone, flesh, and cartilage combination, does wonders in restoring flesh and the internal healing of bones and cartilage.  This formula has done miraculous things with broken backs, legs, hips, etc., as well as has been used on curvature of the spine, polio, multiple sclerosis, and muscular dystrophy, stroke and arthritis of the bone. It can be taken in any of its forms, capsules, syrup, tea (internally and externally as a fomentation) and topically in a salve.  All will do the job.  The choice of how you take it depends on what the problem is. 

To relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and to relax affected areas make a fomentation (an application of a strong hot tea applied externally to the body to ease pain) to apply herbs, convey heat, moisture, and medicinal aid.  Soak a white cotton, flannel, gauze or similar material in hot tea (see instructions for making the strong herbal tea), lightly wring (just enough that the liquid will not run off the body), and place as hot as possible without causing blistering. Generally, keep the fomentation moist and warm by placing plastics, oilcloth, etc., over the fomentation.

Take 2 capsules 3 times per day, or many more can be taken if necessary…remember this is pure food.

 

How to make a fomentation tea:  Put one ounce of Complete Tissue and Bone cut herbs  in a stainless steel pan along with a pint of distilled water and let them sit for 4-6 hours.

After at least 4 hours bring the herbs to boil and simmer for 30 minutes covered.  Strain the liquid out.  Dispose of the herbs, and return the herb liquid to a rinsed out pan and simmer for approximately 1 hour to get the tea down to ½ of the liquid you started with.  For example, if you started with a pint of water you need to cook the herbs down so you end up with 1 cup of very strong tea that you can put in a mason jar and refrigerate.  If you want the tea to last more than a week, add ¼ cup of vegetable glycerine.

 

Dr Christopher’s BF&C Ointment and Cayenne Heat Ointment:

 

Although we always want to work on the cause of the pain, we can relieve the symptoms by using these two ointments. These two penetrating salves are excellent for stiff necks, sore muscles, headaches, pain, stiff joints, arthritis, etc.  We have found that the BF&C Ointment works well together with the cayenne ointment. One takes the other into the skin more quickly and brings relief.  First massage the BF&C Ointment into the sore area, then apply the Cayenne Heat Ointment.  Work the two ointments into the skin; the deeper they seep into the skin, the greater the relief will be.

 

Dr. Christopher’s Herbal Calcium Formula:

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Calcium requires the proper balance of phosphorus, silica and magnesium to be absorbed. Otherwise the free-radical calcium flows through the bloodstream, sometimes depositing in the forms of cysts and calcium deposits. Often people who suffer from arthritis and related problems, arteriosclerosis and calcium deposits, are taking plenty of calcium supplements, but their bodies cannot assimilate the calcium in this form. The best calcium supplement you can take, other than calcium-rich foods, is Dr. Christopher's Herbal Calcium formula, which contains exactly the right proportion of silica because of the horsetail grass. Carrot juice is a good source of calcium, and green leafy vegetables contain lots of it. The darker the green, the more calcium it contains. Turnip greens and kale--though not everyone's favorite, it is true--contain several times the calcium contained in milk. 

Take 2 capsules 3 times per day.

 

Dr. Christopher’s Blood Stream Formula:

 

The blood stream is life itself and it is our job to keep it clean and pure so that we can have a good circulatory system for delivering food to the body properly and, in addition, to carry off the waste materials.  This herbal blood rebuilder is made up of herbs that are cleansers, but also herbs that give astringency, others aid in removing cholesterol, kill infection, or build elasticity in the veins and to strengthen the vein and artery walls.

Take 2 capsules 3 times per day.