There are more than 100 types of arthritis. It is a disease that limits everyday movements such as walking, standing or holding a key and trying to open a door. The effects of arthritis range from mild joint pain, stiffness, and swelling to crippling discomfort.

Osteoarthritis It is the most common form of arthritis. It is estimated that 20.7 million Americans are affected by this disease.

According to Dr. Hulda Clark “…in osteoarthritis, the joints have bacteria that live in deposits left there… More research is needed to explain this. My suspicion is that there are toxins, such as mercury, thallium, cadmium, lead, as well as solvents, distributed throughout the body, lowering immunity and allowing the tiny larvae to reside there. Once the path (route) to these organs has been established, other parasites continue to use it as well. Soon a variety of parasites, their bacteria and viruses and contaminants are heading for these organs.”

Osteoarthritis causes the breakdown of cartilage, which is what protects the ends of the bones from rubbing against each other. As the disease worsens, along with the loss of cartilage bone spurs, abnormal bone hardening will develop and severe pain will be created as there will be no more cushioning for the bones. As a result, the bones become more brittle and susceptible to fractures.

There are two types of osteoarthritis: primary and secondary. Primary OA is arthritis due to an unhealthy aging process. Secondary osteoarthritis is not as common and is caused by injury, prior congenital joint misalignment, trauma, infection, surgery, or long-term use of medications.

Causes of osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis can be caused by general wear and tear on the body through the life process, excess weight, and poor diet throughout life. Additional causes may be skeletal defects, genetic factors and hormonal deficiencies (as evidenced by the many women who get osteoarthritis after menopause), toxins, and microbes. There are still other environmental and even dental factors that have also been found to cause the disease.

Biomechanical changes, especially excessive tissue acidity, can also contribute to the development of osteoarthritis. This is why it is so important to look at your pH to determine your acid and alkaline levels (you can learn more about pH and acid and alkaline levels at www.drclarkuniversity.org click on Books and Products, then University Bookstore, then click on Alkalife). When joints lose their full range of motion due to stress, injury, or lack of activity, cartilage shrinks. As a result, movement is hampered and pain occurs. The body replaces joint deterioration with calcium, which then forms hard, inflexible deposits that cause joint stiffness.

There are some things you can do to avoid this disease or eliminate it from your life. One would be to follow Dr. Clark’s recommendations, some of which are listed below, and more information on her treatment and suggestions can be found in her book The Cure for all diseasesfound at www.drclarkuniversity.org [http://www.drclarkuniversity.org]

“Arthritic deposits contain a large amount of phosphates combined with calcium. This calcium came from some other bone, such as the base of the spine or the wrist. Here the bones are weakening due to this loss of calcium. The calcium was extracted from their bones for the simple purpose of neutralizing excess phosphate in their diet. Reduce the consumption of phosphates (meats, soft drinks, cereals) by half, eating instead fish, milk, vegetables and fruits. Drink three cups of milk a day. If you are allergic to milk, do several liver cleanses, switch milk brands, use a milk digester, and use it in cooking and baking. Cheese and cottage cheese are not substitutes for milk (the calcium stayed in the whey). Dairy products must be boiled before consumption and must not have less than 2% butterfat. Bile is needed for calcium to be absorbable, but bile with less than 2% butterfat does not cause the gallbladder to empty its bile at mealtime.”

When joints ache, it’s easy to kill bacteria with an electronic zapper. Treat yourself with a daily zapper until the pain is gone (more information on the zapper at www.drclarkuniversity.org [http://www.drclarkuniversity.org] and in the Cure for All Diseases). Maybe it will stay away, but the bacteria likely have a constant source of toxins to re-infect. Choose the cure for all diseases to learn how not to get infected again.