“Be not wise in your own eyes; reverently fear and worship the Lord and turn (entirely) away from evil. It shall be health to your nerves and sinews, and marrow and moistening to your bones.” (Proverbs 3:7-8, AMP)
Hurting every day is no way to live. In these days of modern technology, advanced medical techniques and improved hygiene, we are living much longer than we did just a hundred years ago. Unfortunately, many elderly people experience so much pain every day in their bodies that they wish they could just go on to heaven. Although the major killers are still heart disease, cancer and strokes, the number one cause of disabilities is arthritis. Between rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, joint inflammation and a very painful form of arthritis called gout, it seems that we barely have a chance to avoid it as we age. What is the point of living 80 or 90 years on the earth if the last several decades are filled with debilitating join pain.
God has provided a plant and animal kingdom full of natural remedies of which we are just becoming aware. After we become Christians, we have a renewed spirit man, but we still have to live our lives on earth in physical bodies. And those physical bodies need to be “renewed” just as our spirits and minds need to be renewed.
Arthritis Not Only Affecting the Elderly
Most of us associate the degeneration of arthritis with something our grandparents had; the idea that younger people could develop arthritis may seem a bit far-fetched. In my experience, an astonishing 90 percent of all 40-year-olds have the beginning stages of cartilage degeneration. This does not mean that they are necessarily in pain or are facing disability at that point, but it does mean that without certain changes in their diet and lifestyle, there is a good chance that full-blown arthritis will develop—and not just later in life. Nearly three out of five people with arthritis are under the age of 65!
What could be the cause of such a trend? First of all, the poor diet that most Americans consume does not contain the nutrition needed to foster healthy cartilage replacement in the joints. Not only that, but the typical diet promotes obesity in our society. And if a person is 20 pounds overweight, this weight-bearing problem is almost certainly causing arthritic changes in their joints, especially the knees and the hips.
Another reason for the growing prominence of arthritis in the younger generation is the increasing number of athletic injuries that occur. If a person has suffered a football injury, a hockey injury, a skating injury and so on, the risk of arthritis increases threefold due to the damage sustained to the cartilage in the joints.
With such alarming risks and such pain and debilitation at stake, thank god that he has made it possible to prevent and even correct the joint pain and worn-out cartilage that causes arthritis. In these days, it is becoming increasingly important to take advantage of the preventive measures that God has put in place for us. While Satan would love to keep so many of God’s people bound up with the excruciating pain and joint stiffness that arthritis causes, God offers you a better plan.
Below are questions designed to determine if you are exhibiting the signs of arthritis.
- During the past 12 months, have you have pain, aching, stiffness or swelling in or around a joint?
- In a typical month, were these symptoms present daily for at least half of the days in the month?
- Do you have pain in your knee or hip when climbing stairs or walking two or three blocks (1/4 mile) on flat ground?
- Do you have daily pain or stiffness in your hand joints?
- Are you now limited in any way in any activities because of joint symptoms (pain, aching, stiffness or loss of motion)?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you are exhibiting symptoms that may be arthritis or another condition that needs to be diagnosed. You should confirm this diagnosis with your healthcare provider.
Nutritional Answers for Arthritis and Joint Problems
The wonderful news is that God has provided elements in nature to help correct these painful arthritic conditions. Some of these nutritional answers provide more than just relief from the symptoms of arthritis; they can actually reverse cartilage damage, restoring health to damaged cartilage caused by the disease—the aspect that traditional medicine has not even addressed.
So what should you do to cope with arthritis if you are suffering from its pain and debilitation? First of all, you should begin to seek god for His pathway to healing for you. Consider that your pathway could include the nutrients that God has placed in the plant and animal kingdoms, which have been there since the beginning of time. I encourage you to become acquainted with the following natural resources God has provided that have proven helpful in the treatment of this painful disease.
Curcuma
Curcuma is a substance that comes from turmeric, a plant root commonly found in curry powder. Curcuma does not create the same kidney problems that Celebrex or Vioxx do, and I recommend 100 milligrams of Curcuma daily.
Tart Cherries
The kind of cherries that create benefits for the joints and cartilage are not Bing cherries or the cherries you would find on the top of an ice cream sundae. You would find these beneficial cherries in a cherry pie. It is in the beneficial chemical in them that causes the undesired tartness. Just as the case was with curcuma, tart cherries have been used for centuries to alleviate arthritic pain and joint swelling.
Holy Basil
Holy basil is another ingredient that contains much the same properties as curcuma and tart cherries; again, it has been used for hundreds of years to bring relief to painful, swollen joints. One hundred fifty milligrams a day is sufficient to help relieve pain and reduce inflammation.
Sea Cucumber
A sea cucumber is not a member of the plant kingdom, but a marine animal, an underwater creature that feeds on plankton in every sea on earth. As the sea cucumbers, also known as bechedemer, strain the plankton, they collect certain compounds from these tiny marine organisms that have amazing anti-inflammatory properties.
Editor’s Note: The preceding is an excerpt from Reginald Cherry’s book, Bible Health Secrets.
Reginald Cherry, M.D., has practiced diagnostic and preventive medicine/alternative medicine in his clinic for more than 27 years. Frustrated with the limited number of people he could help, he was led to expand his outreach through ministry with weekly television, a monthly newsletter, books and other materials. The television program, The Doctor and the Word, now reaches millions of homes each week, and the medical newsletter, Pathway to Healing, goes to thousands of partners. He is the author of The Bible Cure and The Doctor and the Word.
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