Booze your way past arthritis

Natural arthritis relief is just a sip away--because a new study finds that drinking can help beat the pain.

Not only that, but a steady supply of adult beverages might even prevent rheumatoid arthritis in the first place.

British researchers compared the drinking habits of 873 patients with rheumatoid arthritis to 1,004 without the condition. Overall, they found that the people who drank the most had less severe symptoms than those who didn't drink at all, or those who drank rarely.

By "the most" we're talking about moderate drinkers here, not problem boozers. The drinkers in this study enjoyed their alcohol more than 10 days out of each month, but never more than 10 drinks per week.

The researchers put the patients through a series of tests, and by just about every measure the drinkers were better off. They had less joint pain, less swelling, and less disability overall than the nondrinkers. They also had less damage in their joints, according to X-rays, and blood tests found lower levels of inflammation.

That's good news for drinkers--but wait, because it gets even better. The study in the journal Rheumatology also found that nondrinkers were four times more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis than people who drank more than 10 days each month.

That's consistent with the body of research so far. In fact, a 2008 study out of Sweden found that people who drank five glasses of wine per week had half the arthritis risk of people who drink little or no alcohol.

Experts have already sprung into action, warning that alcohol might interact badly with some of the drugs given to arthritis patients. But if you're suffering from this condition, maybe it's time to give up those drugs and try something else.

And it doesn't necessarily have to be drinking, because there are other safe, drug-free methods of beating the pain.

Keep an eye out for Tuesday's House Call, where I'll tell you about the latest study on how to reduce arthritis pain and improve function.

On a mission for your health,
Ed Martin
Editor, House Calls