In the News: Chinese Herb May Ease Rheumatoid Arthritis

Vasculitis is an inflammatory condition. While few people will outright recommend alternative medicines, patients already know that relief can be found through solutions outside of the mainstream medical treatments. There was even a special session on this topic at the 2008 Vasculitis Foundation Patient Symposium.

So, it is with an open mind that I offer this news to you. Consider any potential new treatment wisely, and follow one bit of mainstream advice that never gets old:

Do not take any medicine
or treatment without
consulting with your doctor(s).

WebMDHealth Newletter : Chinese Herb May Ease Rheumatoid Arthritis
"Chinese Herb May Ease Rheumatoid Arthritis
‘Thunder God Vine’ May Work as Natural Treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms

By Jennifer Warner
WebMD Medical News
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Aug. 17, 2009 -- A Chinese herbal remedy may help ease symptoms in people with rheumatoid arthritis .

A new study shows that the Chinese herbal remedy Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F (TwHF), also known as “lei gong teng” or "thunder god vine," helped decrease joint tenderness and pain in a small group of people treated with the medicinal plant."

[Note: I cannot post the entire article due to WebMD copyright. However, you can read the rest of the story here:]
http://www.webmdhealth.com/nl/nlv.aspx?id=gbfcn7Ijg9Q=&s=11294


You can find links to resources about natural and alternative treatments on the Education page of the NMVasculitis web site here:
http://www.nmvasculitis.org/Home/support/education#TOC-Natural-Alternative-and-Complementa

For example, a quick search at The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) leads me to more information here:

Thunder God Vine [NCCAM Herbs at a Glance]
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/tgvine/

Hope this does not offer false hope for pain relief. Discuss your options with your doctor before trying any treatment that might conflict with your medications.

Joseph Carpenter
Parent, daughter with CSS (DX March '08)

Central NM Vasculitis Foundation Chapter
See us on the web: http://www.nmvasculitis.org - http://www.vasculitisfoundation.org