Rheumatoid Arthritis

That really is the first & one of the most important things you need to do!! Stress & tension will make things worse.

Now go to a search engine type in rheumatiod arthritis & learn as much as you can about it. Also type in something like natural solutions to rheumatoid arthritis which will help you learn about the natural altrenatives to prescrip0tion meds.

Just remember that at 21 you want to first try to learn what your options are & that natural alternatives 1) do not always work, 2) take longer to start working that prescribed meds 3) when they work they usually a) have fewer side effects & b) work better.

To start with though i'd try a combinaion of chondroitin & glucosamine 750-1500mgs of each once or twice a day - for say 2-4 months (everyone is different) & see if that helps - while you're researching all of this.

You could also look into alternative medicines: homeopathy, naturopathy, accupuncture etc.

I want to the natural diets etc. First, is there any good websites for this do you know or do I just need to click around, i'm sure I can find something the meds that you mentioned do you have to ask your doc for them or are they over the counter?

I didn't make myself clear. Sorry.

The "meds" I mentioned are actually natural "supplements" for want of a better description - should be available at any good health food store. Often they can be found in a combined form in a powder but I prefer the combined tablets which are harder to find otherwise 2 tablets are needed one for the glucosamine & another for the chondroitin - whatever you need 750-1500 mgs once or twice a day - every one is different & it's hard to know how your pain/need level etc fits in to the level needed. I'd start with say 750 once a day for 4-6 weeks & if no real improvement then double it & so on. Of course another person would say start with 1500mg of each twice a day to try & hit the problem on the head & then gradually reduce the amount till you find a level that helps without costing a fortune!!

I didn't mean natural diets (although diet may well come up in your research!!) I meant go to a search engine (yahoo or google) & search for information on every aspect of rheumatoid arthritis, what it is, how it's treated by medical dr's & how alternative therapists (accupuncture, homeopathy, naturopathy etc) treat it & what the current research is saying. You might also look into things like tens machines (try dynamind.Com - they have them I think - if not agan go to a search engine & type in tens machines & it should come back with firms that make them.

I start searching tonight.

Good luck & don't give up searching can be a pain!!