Amish Recipes for Arthritis

Health and well-being are important topics in the Amish community, and as such, folk remedies are an important part of Amish culture. Their weekly newspaper, The Budget, covers diagnosis and treatments of various illnesses in lengthy and detailed reports. Before the days of modern medicine, many people relied on a variety of poultices, teas, tinctures, and tonics to treat everything from infertility to the common cold.

These complementary treatments still thrive in Amish communities today -- the same herbs and plants that have been used in traditional Amish medicine are now found in supplements all over the world. Some pain-relieving salves are marketed as having their origins in the Amish tradition. However, while the Amish live a predominantly secluded life away from modern society, they have adopted some modern medical practices and terminology, according to the book American Folk Medicine: A Symposium.

Various Amish almanacs espouse the benefits of medicinal herbs and other natural cures for countless health problems, including arthritis. According to the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online (GAMEO), some Amish have been known to spend a week sitting in an abandoned uranium mine to manage pain from arthritis. While doctors may not recommend such esoteric treatments, research shows that certain folk remedies may spell relief for arthritis sufferers.

In Amish culture, ginseng is prepared in tinctures, teas, or eaten whole, and is believed to promote overall wellness.

Cherries

In a study published in 2004, investigators at the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the research arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), recruited 10 healthy women ages 22 to 40 and asked them to refrain for two days from eating foods high in antioxidants, such as:

• strawberries
  
• tea,
  
• wine
  
• because of their anti-inflammatory affects on the body

After having their blood and urine tested, the volunteers were asked to eat a large serving of cherries for breakfast. Afterward, their blood and urine were tested again over the next five hours.

Ginseng

Amish Folk Remedies

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The Amish have used herbs to treat a variety of ailments, including arthritis.

One study at the Yonsei University College of Dentistry in Seoul, South Korea, tested red ginseng saponin extract (RGSE) against arthritis symptoms in mice. It found that 10 milligrams a day reduced arthritis symptoms, leading researchers to conclude that RGSE may be beneficial to help ease arthritis in humans.

Hot Springs

Soaking in warm water has long been used to relive pain and soreness. Many Amish people with access to hot springs have used long soaks to treat a variety of ailments, including the chronic pain that comes with arthritis. Unlike a traditional warm bath, hot springs carry the natural minerals found in the ground below.

One study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology looked at 136 patients with either rheumatoid arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis (a disease that causes long-term inflammation and pain in the joints and spine) who underwent four weeks of therapy at the Tiberias Hot Springs in Israel. The study found that the majority of patients (60 percent) had significant improvement in their symptoms.

If you don’t have access to a hot spring, a 20 minute soak in a lukewarm bath with Epsom salts has been shown to temporarily relieve arthritis pain.

Are Amish Folk Remedies Right for Me?

Women's Golf in the 1920s

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While some research supports the use of herbal or folk remedies for a variety of ailments, including arthritic pain and inflammation, you should always check with your doctor before adding new foods or supplements to your treatment regimen. Some herbs may have negative interactions with certain medications and can cause potentially serious side effects.

About the Author

Eilender is a college lecturer and health sciences writer based in New Jersey.