There are about as many herbal remedies for arthritis as there are arthritis sufferers! Most work by improving the circulation, and encourage fluid elimination (diuretic).

Blend 1-2 large Celery sticks with an Apple and a Carrot. Add a little water and take as a drink once or twice a day.

It is claimed that eliminating all white sugar and chocolate from the diet will result in a reduction of arthritic pain after about 3 days.

Eat some Celery and/or Parsley every day, or drink the juice. Eat Celeriac as a vegetable regularly. (Do not take medicinal doses of Parsley when pregnant.)

Soak some Sultanas in gin for 7 days, then pour off the gin. Eat 9 raisins per day, or grind them and take one heaped teaspoonful per day.

Drink plenty of Green Tea.

Drink Alfalfa tea and take supplements.

Blend 3 grapefruit, 3 Oranges and 3 Lemons including the skins. Remove pips, add 200ml water and leave overnight. Next day, pour 1.5 litres boiling water over a mixture of 50g cream of tartar and 50g Epsom salts. Allow to cool (but do not let it get cold), mix in citrus solution, and refrigerate. Take 2 dessertspoons on an empty stomach in the morning. Follow with a glass of warm water 10-15 minutes later. This is not a snap 'cure' but if taken for several months is a definite 'control'.

Eat plenty of Cherries, or drink the juice. The water in which Cherries are cooked is also useful.

Drink 1/2 cup fermented Apple juice per day to relieve pain. Or add 2 teaspoons Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 teaspoons honey in a glass of water 3 times a day with meals. This will also help any digestive problems.

Drink 1/2 cup Dandelion juice or tea morning and evening on an empty stomach. If the condition is severe, use equal parts of Dandelion and Watercress.

Cut the midribs from several large green Cabbage leaves, then iron the leaves with a steam iron until they are velvety soft. Rub a little Olive oil on one side and place them on painful areas and cover with a heavy towel. Leave for a little while, then change the leaves and repeat. Good for rheumatoid arthritis, backache, abdominal cramps etc.

Drink several cups of Yarrow tea per day for 1-2 days to relieve painful inflammation.

Cut a medium-sized Potato into thin slices, without peeling the skin, and place the slices overnight in a large glass filled with cold water. The water should be drunk in the morning on an empty stomach.

Drinking water kept overnight in a copper container accumulates traces of copper, which is said to strengthen the muscular system. A copper ring or bracelet is worn for the same reason.

Eat 2-3 leaves of Pennywort (Gotu Kola) daily, or drink a cup or two of tea made from the leaves. (This herb is often called the Arthritis Herb.)

Dandelion leaves eaten, or made into a tea, are a good treatment for arthritis and rheumatism.

Be sure your daily vitamin supplement contains B-6, vitamin C, vitamin E, magnesium, and niacin. These will help prevent stiffness.

Drink a cup or two of a tea made from Celery Seeds daily.

I take a glucosamine & flax supplement. Some of the preparations have MSM in it to help with pain relief. The problem is, it takes a long time for it to work & needs to be taken on a consistent basis. I had an arthritic knee due to a job injury & it was the only thing that helped. I started it on the advice on a nutritionist & orthopedist. Any time you start some sort of treatment regime you need to look at drug interactions, medical history & possible side effects for your mother. Educate yourself as much as you can about these aspects, so you can become an informed consumer. You may also find some arthritis foundations locally that might have information for you.

The very first question is does your mother have osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. There is a HUGE difference. Osteoarthritis is wear and tear, rheumatoid is actually an auto-immune disease and is much more complex in its damage and treatment.

The Dr. that writes in our local paper has a recipe that is suppose to work and is very easy to do:
1 TBLSP of Certo (liquid pectin) in an 8 oz. glass of purple grape juice twice a day. Folks have written in that it indeed does work for them.

tell her to try two leaves of gotu kola each day - just chew and then swallow.

I broke my back in 1978 playing rugby union but the break wasn't found by my specialist until 2002. For all that time I was treated for soft tissue injury and was lucky to survive the chirporactory, the manipulation, the massages, the stretching.

In all that time I relied on pretty strong painkillers to help me through the day. Because of the break and because I couldn't exercise properly I now have spurs growing on most of my lower verterbrae.

Two weeks ago I finally found some gotu kola plants at a local fruit and veg shop.

I planted the gotu kola and gave it a week to set its roots. Then I tried the two leaves a day for four days.

The relief was almost instantaneous.

To test the experiment I went off the gotu kola and my pain and stiffness returned as did the need for pain killers. That lasted four days.

This evening I chewed two gotu kola leaves (Centella asiatica)and the pain and stiffness was gone within twenty minutes.

I'm a convert and if worse comes to worst all you've done is waste a couple of dollars on another garden plant.

try it. and let everyone know if it worked for your mum.

I have cervical stenosis and have gotten great relief by taking turmeric supplements. Turmeric acts as an anti-inflammatory but with none of the side effects associated with standard anti-inflammatories, such as ibuprofen. I also find that I get far, far better pain relief with it than with ibuprofen. -Turmeric has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries.

Here is a link that might be useful: Turmeric and arthritis -Small study results

I recall my grandmother having severe RA. It affected her hands and feet so much, her thumb joints had turned to a calcified mass and her knuckles and knees were twice their normal size. Also she had bones on the bottom of her feet that would push out, and had to be shaved (bones) several times. She tried every single herbal remedy there was to no avail. She died bed ridden and severly crippled, but lived a long life to age 87. Use caution if your planning on using Ibuprofen it can cause severe kidney damage if used excessivly.

I think probably ther are herbal supplements that can help. But also it is better to prevent it.
I have read that things like tomatoes, potatoes, peppers( nightshade family) case the deposit in the joints. So, it is recommended to avoid those.
Another remedy mentioned for arthritis and gout is Juniper berries. It is worth looking into it as well.

Turmeric may help

Aside from its power as a seasoning, there is growing evidence of the healthbenefits from this herb. It’s high in anti-oxidants and may have anti-inflammatory or even anti-caner properties.

http://www.gardeningblog.net/how-to-grow/turmeric/

How to Grow Turmeric

The key is to take it as early as possible, prevention is better than cure.

This post was edited by JCTsai on Sun, Jan 19, 14 at 16:00

Meadowsweet can be one of our other alternative... We have been using Chamomile Flowers as a herbal relief for arthritis and cramps, it was good for inflammation and the pain. Doc also recommended fish oils, says its an all-natural source of Omega-3 to aid and douse inflammation, we’ve found the ones that we are using here Omega 3 and it worked for my liking.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://visiongroupcorp.com/omega3.html

This kind of discussions belongs in the Herbalism Forum, rather than this one, devoted to the culture and growing of herbs.