Gout is one of those tricky health conditions that may first show up as joint pain of an unknown origin. The joint itself may feel warm and present with redness, typically affecting the big toe, but may present in other joints as well. The good news is that gout is a highly treatable condition that can be well managed with diet, herbs, supplements and lifestyle changes.
To understand how to treat gout we need to look at the chemical process occurring in the body when someone presents with gout. The pain one feels is largely due to the presence of uric acid crystals lingering in the blood, which tend to settle in our joints. The liver and kidneys are highly capable of processing the uric acid from our food and drink. However, if we load our bodies full of highly acidic foods, it can stress our organs, leaving uric acid crystals to float freely in our blood stream.
Foods that contribute highly to uric acid production tend to be the more acidic foods, such as red meats, sugar, caffeine, soda and alcohol. Beer is the worst type of alcohol for gout. People with diets high in acidic foods and low in alkaline foods, such as fruits and vegetables, tend to have higher levels of uric acid. When the body accumulates too much uric acid, it can even form bulbous growths on your joints just under your skin called tophi.
Western doctors will treat gout typically with medication such as Allopurinol and instruct their patients to curb alcohol consumption, reduce red meat and exercise more. Exercise will help move the uric acid crystals out of the joints. Many doctors will also recommend patients stay on Allopurinol long term, assuming that most patients will continue their current lifestyle that likely created the gout condition in the first place. Taking medication long term of any kind can be stressful to our livers and kidneys. There are other options.
There are natural alternatives to medication to help manage gout. First and foremost, gout sufferers need to make dietary shifts to balance their highly acidic diets. Drink herbal teas instead of coffee, eliminate the soda, reduce your red meat consumption to no more than once per day, drink more water, exercise and up your fruit and vegetable intake to at least 3-5 servings of each day. Smoothies are great ways to easily get your fruit and vegetable quota for the day. Add a salad to your steak dinner. Substitute that sugary snack with an apple. Gradually make dietary changes to lessen your chances of a repeated gout attack.
If you are in the heat of a gout attack, here are some quick ways to reduce the pain and inflammation:
- Liquid chlorophyll – 1 tsp in 6-8 oz water 4-6 times a day during attack
- Digestive enzymes – helps to break down the uric acid crystals in the blood
- Chinese herbs – acupuncturist and Chinese herbalist have powerful formulas to take down gout symptoms quickly
- Cherry juice – 8 oz per day
- Eat nothing but fruits and vegetables during attack
- Avoid alcohol and sugar
- Drink 1/2 body weight in water
- Movement – at least 30 minutes of exercise per day
Those who have had previous bouts of gout are more at risk for reoccurring episodes. Long term lifestyle and dietary changes are the key at keeping gout at bay.
Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine Work! 
So good to see this in print. Thanks!