The effectiveness of herbal remedies for arthritis sufferers varies from person to person, so you may need to experiment a bit. Try one of the following treatments.

Take a combination tincture of meadowsweet, willow bark, black cohosh, prickly ash, celery seed, and nettle to help temper arthritis symptoms. To make the blend, mix equal amounts of the tinctures; take 1 teaspoonful of the mixture 3 times daily. The blend is safe and can be taken for a period of time.

Use yucca and devil's claw to reduce inflammation. Other herbs to try include licorice, alfalfa, turmeric, ginger, skullcap, and ginseng.

Rub a tincture of lobelia and cramp bark over the sore areas to decrease muscle tension.

Take a combination of 2 parts of willow bark, 1 part of black cohosh, and 1 part of nettle to ease aches and pains.

Rub cayenne over the affected joints to lessen pain.

Herbal products are available in health food stores and in some pharmacies and supermarkets. Follow package for specific directions.

Homeopathy

Osteoarthritis may respond to homeopathic treatment. However, the selection of a remedy-more than one is available-depends on your symptoms and the stage of the condition. Don't try treating this disorder yourself. See a homeopathic professional.

Hydrotherapy

Warm, moist heat packs used for 10 to 20 minutes every 4 hours can bring Welcome relief from stiffness and deep pain. Exercises performed in heated water and swimming have also been effective. Drink distilled water to help absorb and eliminate mineral salts and other waste products throughout the skin.

Traditional Chinese Medicine

Acupuncture According to the WHO, acupuncture is a vital addition to the arthritis fighting arsenal. Acupuncture can be used to help restore the body's energy balance, and it can also help lessen the pain and inflammation that commonly occur in the hands, hips, knees, and spinal joints of osteoarthritis patients. Many doctors now use acupuncture in conjunction with chiropractic techniques when treating osteoarthritis, and it has been used for centuries with Chinese manipulative techniques.

To treat hand and finger pain, the practitioner may focus on Small Intestine 7 (located on the forearm) and the Shang Pa Hsieh sites that lie between the fingers. Additional points may be added, depending on where in the hand the arthritis is located. More than six different acupoints are stimulated in the treatment of hip pain, and up to 12 points may be manipulated to alleviate arthritis related knee pain.

Acupressure To lessen the severity of arthritis symptoms, a practitioner may use acupressure on points that correspond to the liver, gallbladder, kidneys, bladder, stomach, and the governing vessel. The practitioner also may massage the points that correspond to the affected area to relieve pain and inflammation.

Chinese Herbal Therapy Chinese herbalists consider osteoarthritis to be a y inrelated "external damp" illness, and treat the disease by concocting a remedy that will nourish yin and dispel the damp wind while it alleviates swollen, painful joints.

Asarum Sieboldi may be helpful in relieving joint pain; take 3 to 4 grams daily. Foxnut has analgesic properties and is used to reduce pain and inflammation. It can be taken in pill form (9 to 15 grams per day) or as a 10-to 20-gram daily decoction. polygonatum cirrhifolium is said to not only cure arthritis, but to combat premature aging.

If the pain shifts from one joint to another, Corydalis Tuber Forumula may be helpful. For fixed pain accompanied by heavy, swollen joints, try Tu-Huo and Loranthus Formula or Stephania and Astragalus Combination (by mail order). Most of these remedies can be found in health food stores.

Yoga and Meditation

Exercise plays an important role in improving circulation and helping the body eliminate waste. Yoga poses improve flexibility, yet place little stress on joints. Focus on gentle poses, such as the Tree, Triangle, Forward Bend, Spinal Twist, Boat, Bow, Camel, Cow, Locust, Moon Salutation, Chest-Knee, Maha Mudra, and Half Bridge.