Arthritis is inflammation of a joint or joints and the surrounding tissues including tendons, ligaments, and cartilage. Its effects can range from minimal pain, stiffness, and joint swelling to deformity of the joints, crippling and total disability. The three most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and gout. By the time we reach 50 years of age, 80% of us will develop osteoarthritis. Presently, one third of the entire adult population suffers with osteoarthritis, often referred to as degenerative joint disease. Almost two and one-half million Americans are afflicted with rheumatoid arthritis-twice as many women as men. Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis affects 71,000 young Americans (aged 18 and under)-six times as many girls as boys. And currently, over one million Americans have been diagnosed with gout, with men being four times more likely than women to develop this painful condition.

The causes of arthritis are varied and many. These include trauma with joint instability, aging with increased body weight (causing increased weight-bearing on the joints), altered biochemistry, hormonal changes, and genetic factors. It is now also accepted among most rheumatologists and allergists that some people have allergy-induced arthritis. And mental-emotional stresses induce cortisone deficiencies in the body, which can also be a factor in some forms of arthritis.

Osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease, is related to the wear and tear of aging and involves deterioration of the cartilage at the ends of the bones. The cartilage then becomes rough and the tendons, muscles, and ligaments holding the joint together become weakened. The body's attempt to stabilize the joint results in the formation of bony spurs or osteophytes. This process can be accelerated by being overweight, joint injuries, inadequate diet and improper or no exercise.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory condition that affects the entire body, including the synovial membranes which surround the lubricating fluid (synovial fluid) in the joints. It is an autoimmune disease, a condition in which the body's immune system attacks its own tissues. Rheumatoid arthritis involves multiple joints and not only results in swelling, stiffness, pain and partial dislocation of the joints, but also anemia, fatigue, fever, weight loss and crippling. Causes of this inflammatory reaction include genetic susceptibility, life-style factors, nutritional factors, food allergies and microorganisms. One of the most recent theories is abnormal permeability of the intestinal wall which allows incompletely digested foods to pass through into the blood stream. These large food particles in the blood cause an immune disturbance in which the body's own immune system attacks tissues around the joints.

Gout is a type of arthritis caused by increased levels of uric acid in the body's fluids.  This uric acid helps to form crystals which become deposited in the joints and other tissues, including the kidneys, causing considerable damage that results in inflammation.  Gout is often referred to as "the rich man's disease" and historically was associated with affluence.  This traditional picture does have basis in reality, as meats, particularly organ meats, cause increased uric acid and alcohol slows down the elimination of uric acid by the kidneys.

I don't want to get too technical in this book, and since most of my readers are not chemists-and this includes the author - I'll try to keep this simple. Cetyl myristoleate is an ester of a fatty acid.  This sounds too much like chemistry to me' Let's see if I can start this a little simpler. Fatty acids are the individual components of oils in the same way that amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. Polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as linoleic acid and linolenic acid, are crucial to life and are called essential fatty acids. Monounsaturated oils such as oleic acid can be abundantly found in such oils as olive oil.  These are the good oils. nutritionists now know that daily consumption of the good oils does more to reduce the bad cholesterol (LDL) and increase the good cholesterol (HDL) than cholesterol present in your diet.

Now if we take a fatty acid, myristoleic acid, and combine it with a long-chain alcohol molecule, cetyl alcohol, we have created an ester of this fatty acid called cetyl myristoleate. Both of these molecules occur in nature. Cetyl alcohol was first derived from the oil of the sperm whale, but now is obtained from palmitic acid (a saturated fatty acid) found in coconut and palm oils. Myristoleic acid is found in very small percentages in all fats and oils. Historically, many of these products were used in the cosmetic industry because of their ability to act as lubricants. One of the mechanisms of cetyl myristoleate is as a super lubricant, a kind of WD-40 for the joints.

Concerning the treatment for arthritis, how can one product address all of the causes of this complex disease? Cetyl myristoleate seems to function in three very different capacities. It lubricates not only the involved joints, but also lubricates the entire body, making muscles glide more smoothly over other muscles, bursas, and bones and at the same time softens these tissues, making them more pliable. Secondly, it appears to function as an immune system modulator. This may be the reason it has been found to be so effective in treating autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosis, and multiple sclerosis. Last, it functions like one of the good fatty acids in that it mediates inflammatory processes. When cooled, cetyl myristoleate is a waxy substance and, at room temperature, it has a buttery consistency.

The discovery of cetyl myristoleate is a fascinating story. It all began in 1962 when Harry W. Diehl, a researcher working at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, went on a personal quest to find a cure for arthritis. Harry's specialty was sugar metabolism, having developed a method of synthesizing a sugar used in the preparation of Dr. Jonas Salk's oral polio vaccine.

Harry's interest in arthritis began when a neighbor and friend developed rheumatoid arthritis. Seeing his friend eventually become completely disabled affected Harry deeply. Ironically, Harry worked at the same UIH facility that housed their arthritis research department, and he was frustrated that they had never developed anything to cure arthritis. Harry set up a home laboratory to discover something to help his neighbor. I'm told that the neighbor passed away before Harry made his wonderful discovery, but in the past two years since cetyl myristoleate has become available, tens of thousands of arthritis sufferers have benefited from the results of Harry's compassion for his friend.

As a researcher, Harry knew that to study a disease, it must be experimentally induced in laboratory animals, so Harry started with mice. He injected them with a substance called Freund's adjuvant (Mycobacterium butyricum), a toxin which produces arthritic symptoms in most animals. He quickly realized that the mice did not develop any arthritic symptoms, no matter where he injected them with the toxin! After contacting a fellow researcher who had also found that mice were immune to arthritis, Harry instinctively knew that what he was looking for was somewhere in those mice!

After two years of working evenings, weekends, and holidays, Harry isolated the substance that provided the mice their immunity to arthritis - a fatty acid ester now known as cetyl myristoleate, which circulates in the blood of mice at concentrations of about 350 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. Later research found this substance in sperm whales, and anal glands of male beavers. Unfortunately for these two, the cetyl myristoleate does not circulate in the blood; consequently they can develop arthritis.

The next step was to use the substance to prevent arthritis in other animals. Harry injected it into two groups of rats that he knew developed arthritis when injected with Freund's adjuvant. He was pleased to find that the group of rats also injected with cetyl myristoleate remained arthritis-free, and grew an average of 5.7 times as much as the control group that was not given the cetyl myristoleate.

Harry successfully synthesized cetyl myristoleate by combining cetyl alcohol with myristoleic acid, tested it on rats, and found it to be just as effective as the naturally occurring form. In proper doses his man-made cetyl myristoleate provided 100% of the rats immunity against arthritis induced by Freund's adjuvant injections!

Harry did nothing with his discovery until 1977 when he applied for and received a use patent for the treatment and prevention of rheumatoid arthritis with cetyl myristoleate. However, no pharmaceutical company he approached was interested in continuing his research for an arthritis cure. Perhaps this was because cetyl myristoleate occurs naturally and thus a patent on this molecule cannot be obtained. No product patent, no huge profits! Cetyl myristoleate went back on the shelf to collect more dust.

In 1991 Harry developed osteoarthritis in his hands, knees, and feet. After considerable medical treatment, Harry's physician told him that nothing could be done medically to alleviate his pain. Harry recalled his discovery, returned to his lab and whipped up a batch of cetyl myristoleate. He applied it topically with a carrier solution of DMSO, and became completely symptom-free after ten days of use. With only this single 10 day treatment, Harry remained in this state for over five years. He started to share cetyl myristoleate with friends and family. Taken topically or orally, it often worked with astounding results! Harry, who is still alive at the time of the writing of this book, says that some of his early volunteers are still totally free from arthritic symptoms after having taken only a short course of the substance. Others have had some relapses and needed refresher doses to improve again.

In March 1994 Harry published his research in the Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Since that time, health care practitioners who use safe, drug-free alternatives have been discovering this wonderful product and its often remarkable effects on many types of arthritis. I have used it myself and now sleep on an arthritic shoulder that I could not sleep on since 1967 when I was in a motorcycle accident. I have shared cetyl myristoleate with hundreds of patients and found it to be very effective. We are just beginning to use this wonderful discovery, and I believe it has great potential for preventing many types of inflammatory diseases.

A multi-center clinical research study involving 451 patients with various forms of arthritis was performed in 1996, using various established measurement criteria including joint swelling, joint pain, chest expansion, blood analysis, urinalysis, radiographic assessment, and patient and physician assessment. The patients were divided into three groups and tested for one month.

One group received 90 grams of oral fatty acid esters with cetyl myristoleate. Another group received the same amount of cetyl myristoleate and fatty acid esters plus glucosamine, sea cucumber extract, and hydrolyzed cartilage, and the third group received a placebo.

The remarkable results showed significant improvement of 65.5% in the group using the fatty acid esters with cetyl myristoleate alone, and 87% improvement in the group using the combination of fatty acid esters with cetyl myristoleate and glucosamine, sea cucumber, and hydrolyzed cartilage. The placebo group showed only a 14.5% improvement. Only 1% of the two treated groups experienced a worsening of symptoms. (Reference: The Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, Aug/Sept 1997)

Let's put this study in proper perspective. As discussed in Arthritis in the Johns Hopkins White Papers (Simeon Nargolis, M.D., Ph.D., and John A.Flynn, N.D., 1997), two drugs commonly used to treat rheumatoid arthritis in those who do not respond to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are methotrexate and cyclosporin. One study showed that when taken together these two powerful drugs proved to be 20% effective in relieving symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Those taking methotrexate alone saw a 16% improvement. Methotrexate can harm the liver, and biopsies (removal of a piece of the liver) are recommended to monitor liver damage, and blood tests should be performed every four to eight weeks. I think it's time that medicine starts to investigate safer, more effective treatments for arthritis, don't you?

However fantastic this product is, its effectiveness can be improved by another 10%-20% by adding a few additional natural ingredients. In [Nature, we observe that nothing works or stands alone. There is always a collaboration or supporting complimentary action which makes things happen. This interaction, when the total effect is greater than the sum of the individual effects, is called synergism.

I bring this to your attention because I have found many applications of synergism in the formulation of natural remedies for the treating of my patients. If two separate substances help in the same condition, the combination of these substances often produces a total effect far greater than the use of only one of the substances.

In using fatty acid esters, we discovered that results were much longer lasting when we developed a comprehensive program. This treatment protocol not only combines cetyl myristoleate with other complementary or synergistic oils that enhance its performance, but we have included several other time-honored, clinic-tested natural substances that have been found effective in the treatment of all arthritic conditions.

This includes one product that combines glucosamine, sea cucumber extract, hydrolyzed cartilage and methylsulfonylmethane in a capsule to be taken two capsules three times daily. And last, we add a topical cream that contains cetyl myristoleate with a carrier that can be applied over the involved joints. The entire program is designed to be completed in one month. Even though most patients are symptom-free at this point, I recommend the continued use of the support capsules for at least another 4-6 months. Several of my patients have experienced a continuing decrease in symptoms even after completing a one to three month treatment program.

Glucosamine has had more of an impact on my life and the lives of all my patients suffering from the various forms of arthritis than any other one product, prior to cetyl myristoleate. Prior to my discovery of glucosamine in 1989, I was forced to have regular steroid injections into my shoulder to relieve the symptoms of traumatic arthritis. On one occasion, it became so painful that in spite of all the therapies I had available to me, I was forced to quit my practice of chiropractic. Fortunately, glucosamine became available about that time and, after three months of daily use, all my shoulder symptoms were gone and I was able to return to work

Glucosamine is an amino sugar necessary for the construction of connective tissue. It is produced by the body and is an integral part in the production of nails, tendons, skin, eyes, synovial fluid (fluid found in the joints that provides nutrients and lubrication), bone, ligaments, heart valves, and the mucous secretions of the digestive, respiratory and urinary tracts, no glucosamine in the diet can result in early aging of cells and loss of cellular function resulting in premature cell death. It has been found when compared to nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) to be far superior in treating osteoarthritis. Remember, NSAIDs are symptom relievers only and actually inhibit cartilage repair?

Glucosamine actually helps to rebuild the damaged cartilage in the joint. This process can take weeks or months to accomplish depending on the severity of joint damage, and consequently, many people have given up on this wonderful product because symptom relief was too slow in coming. Adding cetyl myristoleate to glucosamine creates an unbeatable combination. This is a product that you should continue to use after the recommended cetyl myristoleate program is completed to ensure that the body is provided with all of the building blocks needed to reconstruct the damaged joint tissues.

The vegetable of the deep, according to one well known health care provider and author, emits chondroitin sulfate, a substance found to be a powerful anti-inflammatory and useful in the treatment of all arthritic conditions, as well as tendonitis, bursitis, myofascitis, and sports injuries. According to this source, homeopathic dilutions of this substance are about 25 times more effective than aspirin in reducing inflammation and have a greater lasting effect!

Sea cucumber, a marine animal related to the starfish and sea urchin, has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for hundreds of years, and its medicinal use dates back thousands of years. In a modern study, about 84% of those using it for rheumatoid arthritis had mild to significant objective and subjective improvement. A sea cucumber product is now registered for over-the-counter sale in Australia and New Zealand as a treatment for arthritis.

Cartilage is rich in mucopolysaccharides, large molecules which are found in all our joints, blood vessels, and organs. These molecules have also been found to stimulate immune function and thus help reduce the pain and inflammation of arthritis. As with glucosamine, it takes time for these nutrients to enter the damaged areas and help to reconstruct the joints. Keep in mind, too, that during the healing process, joints continue to be subjected to activity and stress bearing. Therefore, the benefits of cartilage supplementation tend to be gradual.

There are also some other interesting developments concerning hydrolyzed cartilage. During the last few years there has been a great deal of research into the possibility of the human body being able to use hydrolyzed cartilage directly after digestion to form new human cartilage tissue.

Much of this research is contradictory owing to some less than exemplary study techniques employed by some of the researchers but some of the evidence leads one to believe that under certain conditions, the human body can use common hydrolyzed cartilage to reform damaged joint tissue.

Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM)

Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) has been researched since the late 1950's and available as capsules in the health food industry for many years. Originally MSM was isolated from various plant (vegetable) sources and discovered to be mildly antiviral in some in vitro studies. Further animal studies seemed to show some in vivo antiviral effects but expanded human studies proved to be disappointing. Some companies continue to sell MSM for this purpose. It is a metabolite of DMSO, and provides all the good effects of DMSO without the drawbacks like the odor on the breath, and drying of the skin when topically applied. MSM has been used historically to treat a wide variety of conditions including allergies, emphysema, arthritis, and some vascular conditions. I use it anywhere that I want to reduce inflammation and enhance circulation.

There are many other factors to consider when treating and trying to prevent arthritic symptoms from returning. The primary considerations would be diet and nutrition (including possible food allergies), elimination of poisons or toxins in the body (referred to as detoxification), proper exercise, and stress reduction.

I'm going to sound a little bit like your own doctor here: If you're overweight, the nicest thing you can do for those eight-bearing joints is to lose some weight. And as you already know, fad diets don't offer any permanent answers. In fact, some of them have proved and some may yet prove to be very dangerous. The average American is now 4 lbs. heavier since starting all these low-fat diets, which I'm afraid has sent all of us scurrying around for fat substitutes so we can continue to eat our chips, dips, hamburgers, and low-fat cookies, now is the time to start. As the sports shoe commercial says, "Just Do It?"

There's lots of great information on proper diet, and much of it is now being recommended by the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society, so I'm not going to elaborate here. However, there are some key factors that I'd like to address. Eat more fruits and vegetables! If available, choose organically grown; they're more likely to contain all the vitamins and minerals needed for healthy tissue growth and contain none of the dangerous pesticides and insecticides that do liver damage.

Eat more cold water fish such as Salmon, Herring (not kippered or pickled), fresh Sardines, Albacore Tuna, and Mackerel. These fish provide sources for omega-5 fatty acids, which decrease the inflammation and pain of arthritis. They also decrease the amount of cholesterol that the liver produces, thus thinning the blood, making clots less likely to form and reducing plaques on the blood vessel walls.

Decrease your meat consumption. Animal meats, especially organ meats, are high in purines which break down to uric acid, the primary cause of gout. Meat is also loaded with the essential fatty acid, arachadonic acid, which also increases joint inflammation. Of course meat also contains all the unhealthy fats that lead to obesity, heart disease, some cancers, and it increases inflammatory processes.

Consider being tested for food allergies. Certain plants belonging to the Solanaceae, or nightshade, family are known to increase the symptoms of certain arthritic conditions. The nightshade family includes tomatoes, white potatoes, hot and sweet peppers, eggplant and tobacco. These plants are known to produce crippling conditions in grazing animals. Dairy products, margarine, shortening, caffeine, alcohols, and sugar should also be dramatically reduced or eliminated from your diet.

One of the most important actions that you can take to decrease arthritic symptoms and increase your overall well-being is to increase your daily water consumption. Drinking 2 to 5 quarts of distilled water each day will do more for your health than any of my other suggestions. Distilled water is a powerful therapeutic agent. Because of water's ability to attach to other molecules, distilled water, which has nothing attached to the water molecule, can help leach many of the undesired mineral deposits found in your joints and other tissues and organs and help to eliminate them from your body. Be careful with mineral water which provides minerals in a form that your body has difficulty breaking down and using. These minerals then get deposited in your joints, kidneys, and blood vessels. Your body finds it easier to break down minerals that come from fruits and vegetables than minerals that come directly from the ground.

Chronic pains in the body are often indicators of dehydration. Many times we misinterpret our cravings for water and eat more food rather than drinking the water that our body so desperately needs to carry on all of its functions. The next time you find yourself craving something, try drinking a couple of glasses of distilled water. I promise you, it will change your life! The first thought you should have when any pain arises is "my body is severely short of water!"

Your body eliminates toxins through several pathways. There are two forms of toxins, internal and external. Internal toxins are waste products produced by normal metabolic processes in your body. External toxins are poisons that are found in our environment. The FDA has approved over 70,000 chemicals to be used in our environment that are now found in our food, air, and water supplies. Twenty-five per cent of these chemicals are known carcinogens. As we age, the body's abilities to eliminate these poisons is diminished. Organs of elimination include the colon, liver, kidneys, skin, and lungs.

It is critical that we improve the digestion of our food and decrease the delivery of undigested foods to the colon. Remember, one of the causes of rheumatoid arthritis may be due to large molecules of food in unusable forms entering the blood stream and causing a hyper-immune response. Enzyme therapy will be beneficial here. Go to the health food store and buy a formula that includes all of the digestive plant enzymes, including protease, lipase, amylase, and cellulase. The pancreatic enzymes, including trypsin, should also be included. The enzymes should be taken with meals and for those of you with digestive problems, the lipase may be helpful in digestion cetyl myristoleate which is an oil. Also, increasing dietary fiber (fruits and vegetables, again) decreases the time food spends in the digestive tract and is necessary for any beneficial detoxification program. For those of you who do not respond to the shotgun approach of enzyme therapy, please contact your chiropractor or naturopath who specializes in this field.

Remember your poor old liver is having to work overtime breaking down all those environmental toxins that we encounter everyday. So give it a break and reduce your intake of unhealthy fats, refined sugars, and processed foods, especially those with questionable additives, preservatives and colorings. Alcohol and certain drugs, too, cause liver damage. For those of you with a history of alcohol, drug, or steroid use, you may Find emulsifying the cetyl myristoleate very difficult, and therefore, it may not have the desired results. If this is the case, supplement the recommended treatment with some bile salts or lecithin, a very effective emulsifier. Just a note -before fats or oils can be broken down and absorbed, they must be emulsified. This is accomplished by the secretion of bile which is manufactured by the liver and stored in the gall bladder. And for those with liver dysfunction, I recommend a combination of milk thistle extract (silymarin), crude licorice extract (glycyrrhizins) astragalus, and schizandra for mild and effective detoxification.

Reducing your salt and meat consumption will help to reduce the stress to he kidneys and keep them functioning at an optimum level during detoxification. Again, reducing your intake of drugs, food additives, and questionable chemicals is essential in helping to remove metabolic waste products and environmental poisons. Your kidneys will really appreciate, also, the 2 to 5 quarts of distilled water you are now drinking. Regular hot showers and baths that open the skin's pores while using an abrasive like the loofah sponge will support the skin's efforts in detoxifying. Hot baths with Epsom salts help to draw the toxins out of the body through the skin. And regular exercise to the point of sweating will be very helpful.

Part of your regular exercise should include aerobic exercise. I do not agree with the adage "No pain, no gain," especially when trying to improve joint function. All exercise should be performed within the limits of pain. If your exercise starts to become painful, please stop the one that you're doing and go on to your next exercise. You can always put the painful one back into your routine later on. You may, of course, experience some achiness or stiffness after starting any new exercise routine. This is to be expected since you’re using some muscles that probably have not been used in some time. Achiness is all right, pain is not swimming and isometric exercises are probably the most effective without doing further damage to your joints.

Another exercise that is extremely powerful and-like switching to distilled water-will change your life, is performing deep breathing exercises. Deep breathing will provide oxygen to parts of your lungs that have not experienced fresh air in ages. It will also stimulate fresh blood supply to the now newly reactivated parts of your lungs and increase the body's abilities to rid itself of volatile substances. Of course, aerobic exercise like swimming and jogging can do all of the above, but not to the degree like the focused breathing exercise that I'll describe below. I'm not an advocate of jogging since it can cause further damage to all your weight-bearing joints.

If you must jog, please wear the proper shoes to absorb shock and keep the proper biomechanics of your feet; custom orthotics that fit inside your shoes can be helpful here. Run on earth or sand surfaces, not on pavement or asphalt, and pick a location to run where you will not be forced to breathe automobile or factory exhausts. The Good Lord gave us only one liver to handle all these toxins!

My favorite breathing exercise is simple, but powerful.  My recommendation is to do this three times a day if possible.  If you can't do it three times, do it twice or even once.  But do it!  Find a quiet place where you won't be interrupted for five minutes.  You can even do this in your car before you walk into your work place, but please shut off your ignition first.  This might even make going to work a little easier!  Take a deep breath through your nose filling both our upper lung lobes and the lower lobes. You must use your diaphragm so your stomach must protrude outwards and your chest must expand on full inhalation. Now hold it in for a count of four.  Release your breath slowly through your mouth for twice as long as you inhaled. This will ensure that all of the air with the toxins, like carbon dioxide, exits your system.  In other words, inhale to a count of eight, hold for a count of four, and exhale for a count of sixteen. The numbers are arbitrary.  Do what feels comfortable.  Repeat this process ten times and, try to do it three times a day.  If you do this for one month, I guarantee you will no longer have the same body.

The one factor that seems to be the most important during the healing process of any physical ailment is attitude. I'm always hesitant to use numbers in describing anything so subjective as health, but if I were to try and objectify attitude, it would be at least 70% of the healing process. I have seen patients overcome insurmountable odds by becoming actively involved in their own care and heal from so-called incurable diseases.  On the flip side, I have had patients who have "stinkin thinkin" and never recover from minor ailments that should have been resolved years ago.

Attitude not only means trying to hold a good thought during the healing, it means taking control of your own body, maybe for the first time in your life, and becoming an active participant.  Educate yourselves by asking your doctor questions, go to the library, or search the Internet on your computer. The information you gather will empower you to take an active role in your healing and remaining well. Look at disease not as something bad that has happened to you, but as an opportunity to dig a little deeper into yourself to find those inner strengths and the source of healing.

Please do not expect your physician to heal you; healing comes from within. If you have a great doctor, he or she may know what buttons to push to remove the obstacles to healing and maybe even teach you how to prevent future disease, but you must furnish that healing power.

Good luck and God speed on your road to recovery! By the way, I always thought that God traveled at the speed of light, but when it comes to healing, sometimes He travels a little slower. Be patient, travel slower yourself, be with yourself, and you may find that you really enjoy your own company!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Cetyl myristoleate is the common name for cis-9-cetyl myristoleate.  It is a completely natural substance found in certain animals, including beavers and mice.  As supplied, it is a naturally derived, and synthesized highly purified fatty acid ester prepared for oral administration.

Some authors and practitioners believe that cetyl myristoleate has the ability to reprogram faulty memory T-cells, thus treating the cause of arthritis. I have not found this to be totally correct. Cetyl myristoleate may have the ability to normalize hyper-immune responses, thus the favorable results in treating autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus, but it seems to function more effectively as a lubricant, and a powerful anti-inflammatory. My recommended protocol also provides natural synergistic nutrients that start immediately to help reconstruct damaged joint tissue. Although the major benefits come relatively quickly, minor improvements may continue for several months after finishing the program.

Does the protocol work for both rheumatoid and osteoarthritis? Both types of arthritis respond equally well. The program that I suggest, which includes the mixed fatty acid esters (including cetyl myristoleate), joint support capsules, and topical cream has also been found effective in treating other forms of arthritic conditions including gout, ankylosing spondylitis, Reiter’s syndrome, Sjogren's syndrome, and psoriasis. It has also been found to relieve various types of back pain of undetermined origin, which is more than likely arthritis-related.

Absolutely! If the joint can be moved just slightly, by either the afflicted person or even by someone else. joint mobility can usually be restored. However, if the bones have fused, only surgery may restore joint function.

Yes. Deformed fingers and toes are often caused by inflammation which swells joints and pushes the bones out of place. Reduction of the swelling improves appearance dramatically and often allows the subluxated bones to return to their normal position. Extreme cases may require some physical therapy.

How Long is it Before benefits are Noticed? Some people begin to feel relief within ten to fourteen days. Others may take longer, and a few severe cases may require follow-up treatments. Many benefit from follow-up with small daily maintenance doses. We are all unique and no one protocol works for everyone. My suggestion is to be flexible with the dose. The suggested dose is just that - suggested. Don't be afraid to decrease or increase daily amounts. Listen to you body!

Severe cases may require a follow-up treatment. I suggest waiting several weeks after completing a course of cetyl myristoleate while continuing the other support capsules (glucosamine, etc.). Some people may find they need to take a few capsules now and then to retain their improvement. After treatment is completed, most severe cases, including those confined to bed and wheelchairs. Find that they no longer have to depend on others for their care.

No. There is nothing existing that works for everyone. However, I have seen this protocol work when nothing else would. The treatment recommended in this book has been found to be 87% effective in treating various forms of arthritis. Keep in mind that there are many variables in treating arthritis - body weight (being overweight increases weight-bearing deterioration of the joints), loss of muscle tone, chronicity, number of involved areas, gastrointestinal dysfunctions, impaired immune function, allergies, food sensitivities, infections, and the list goes on. It is impossible for any one treatment to address all these factors.

It was found that cetyl myristoleate is stored in the liver, and consequently, liver dysfunction may delay or impede results. With patients who had liver disease or hepatitis, or a history of alcohol abuse, I recommend a liver detoxification program prior to or with the cetyl myristoleate program. Those who experience digestive discomfort when taking cetyl myristoleate probably have insufficient pancreatic enzymes or stomach acid, to break down the fat content of cetyl myristoleate. The enzyme lipase, found in pancreatic enzyme supplements, helps break down the oily material of this fatty acid ester to aid absorption. In some cases, bile salts or lecithin are helpful in emulsifying the fat.

Yes, but after treatment with the protocol recommended in this booklet, one may be able to decrease or eliminate medications. If at all possible, avoid steroids which interfere with cetyl myristoleate's function. When reducing any medication it is always best to work with your physician, as some medications must be withdrawn slowly.

Not really. All ages respond well. Although arthritis is far more common in adults, even young children are sometimes afflicted. With small children start with one half of the recommended dose and increase slowly to a regular dose.