Robin’s story- osteoarthritis

I’m a 55 year old woman who has suffered from osteoarthritis which has gotten progressively worse for the last 30 years.  I have tried various short-term dietary changes but mostly ignored the stiffness, aches and pains or took Aleve, my pain reliever of choice, when it just became too much to ignore.

Then in early August of 2011, I awoke one morning with numb, tingling hands, and pain radiating from my shoulders, down into my elbows and on into my wrists.  It was as if, overnight, I had become an invalid.  I was unable to cook for my family and could barely take care of my own basic needs.  I was in constant pain, day and night, and was getting very little sleep.

This continued on for several days with no relief.  It’s hard to say which was  worse….the pain or the numbness in my hands.  I eventually made an appointment with a rheumatologist who X-rayed my neck, said he didn’t see anything in particular that would cause my problems and ordered a nerve test for me.  After reading about the nerve test, I decided I really didn’t want to have it done, and started looking for an alternative route for treatment.

I did some research online and found Dr. Singh.  I had never been to a Naturopath before, but was very impressed with her interest in me as a complete person; my emotional, spiritual and physical health.  After that first visit I started to understand the possible connections between all these things and my physical symptoms.

I left her office with a list of markers she’d like to see in my blood work results and instructions on how to complete the metabolic assessment.  After those results came back, I went back for my second visit with Dr. Singh.  She went through my results in depth, explaining the problems with my bodily systems that needed to be corrected in order to reduce the systemic inflammation that was attacking me and causing me so much pain.  When I left that day, I had a specific diet to follow based on my blood type, along with several supplements and a homeopathic remedy.

I was determined to follow her instructions as well as I could to see if I could get some results.  It’s amazing what chronic pain can do for your determination to make lifestyle and dietary changes!  I started to feel a little better after several weeks of following the protocol Dr. Singh had designed for me.  Some of the feeling in my hands started to return, but the numbness and tingling was replaced by deep pain in the palms of my hands.  I was still feeling very bad, still having lots of pain and not sleeping well.

Dr. Singh continued to tweak my protocol, adding in a pain tincture that helped with the constant pain. She eventually found the right homeopathic remedies to give me the results I needed.  Within three days of starting them, I noticed the significant difference I had been hoping for.  I have now taken three rounds of those remedies and continue to follow the blood type diet and take a couple of other supplements to support various systems in my body. I very rarely need the pain tincture these days and take no OTC pain relievers at all!

I can honestly say today, in late February 2012, that I feel better than I have in many years.  It has not been an easy journey, and many times I wondered if I would ever be well again.  The last six months have proven to me that my body is able to heal itself and function in a healthy manner with the nutritional and dietary support I have received from Dr. Singh.  I now have no numbness, tingling or the deep pain in the palms of my hands.  The pain in my shoulders, elbows and wrists is gone as well.  I continue to have some stiffness and swelling in the joints of my fingers, but even that is better than it was before this all began in August.  In fact, I have more range of motion and less pain in my hands than I have in many years!  I continue to work with Dr. Singh and believe that my health will continue to improve!

If you are thinking about trying a naturopathic approach to regain your health, I highly encourage you to not just try it, but be willing to make those sometimes difficult changes in your diet and lifestyle.  I also encourage you to not give up too soon.  If you are seeing Dr. Singh, trust that she will work with you and continue to support you in your journey back to health.  Everyone should have a Dr. like Dr. Singh!  I’m so glad I found her!!

Robin, Leander, TX