Q. My husband and I are both suffering from arthritis pain. His knees hurt and I have problems with my thumbs and my hips. My doctor says hip replacement is in my future.
We have tried glucosamine and chondroitin. The supplements seemed to help for a while, but now we are both limping again. Do you have any natural suggestions for arthritis?
A. One possibility is a home remedy that combines Certo with grape juice. Some folks say it works wonders for stiff, painful joints. Certo is plant pectin, used to thicken jams and jellies. A teaspoon or two added to a small glass of grape juice three times a day may be worth a try.
One reader offered this story:
“I have suffered from severe pain in my hips for three years and shoulder pain for ten. For the past three weeks now I have been taking a tablespoon of Certo in 8 ounces of no-sugar-added Concord grape juice morning and afternoon. I sip it slowly over the course of several hours.
“I have gone from needing a couple of Vicodin daily to not using any. Some days I take a single ibuprofen for my pain relief. That is a huge difference!”
We have written about natural approaches to coping with joint pain in our Guides to Alternatives for Arthritis.
