Arthritis and Copper Bracelets

When a person is diagnosed with arthritis, it is only a matter of time before some friend or relative or even an alternative medicine practitioner recommends for Arthritis and Copper Bracelets or other copper jewelry. Most people with arthritis own at least one piece of copper jewelry either purchased or received as a gift in the hope that it will relieve the pain, stiffness and reduction in mobility that goes along with the condition. It is as common for the copper bracelet to be accepted as therapeutic as it as for them to be met with skepticism.

Arthritis and Copper Bracelets

The website of the Arthritis Foundation references the use of these bracelets at www.arthritis.org/general-questions-on-arthritis and comes to the conclusion that while they are likely harmless, they are also likely not to have any real effect. Many patients do report anecdotal tales of symptomatic improvement, but there are few studies done using the scientific method that give evidence one way or the other.

One placebo-controlled study done on 300 patients in 1976 did show that patients got relief using the bracelets but other studies have not been able to duplicate the effect. (See www.arthritis-treatment-and-relief.com/ to read about that trial.) Some of the bracelets being sold, however, have been lacquered and don’t even put the copper into contact with skin so no absorption is possible. This seems to argue for more of a placebo effect.

This is the point of view on www.innerself.com/ that relief comes from the belief that the copper bracelets will work. “Placebo” comes from the Latin meaning “I will please” and the relief is not to be denied. If belief reduces pain and improves the quality of life, the remedy is real even if the means by which it works is all mental. The mind itself can be a powerful healer.

There are studies that show copper levels in the blood are actually raised in inflammatory arthritis and some think this is because the copper is being mobilized to fight the inflammation. Copper is a precursor component to a powerful antioxidant formed in the body commonly known as “S.O.D.” which stands for superoxide dismutase. This compound cannot be absorbed orally, so it makes sense to have the body make its own. Copper is also needed to create and maintain all connective tissue, the very location of the problem in arthritis.

The website www.mind-sports.com/ mentions the head of the department of medicine at the University of Kiel, who reported good results using copper to treat 1100 patients over a period of 20 or more years, claiming as many as 65% of those with rheumatoid arthritis were symptom free at least for some time and another 23% had excellent improvement of their symptoms. This did not use copper bracelets and the question is whether enough copper could be absorbed transdermally to produce any results.

This site also reports that copper use is not new, stating that wearing copper jewelry goes back more than a thousand years. Foods rich in copper were also given to ancient patients with arthritis to ease their symptoms. In modern times, there seems to have been some resurgence in using these bracelets for little more than 100 years in the U.S. but they are a folk remedy long in use.

There are many places to buy copper bracelets if a person decides to give them a try. An example is found at www.dealonbracelets.com/ , a company around for more than thirty years selling bracelets for about $60. You can also spend much less or much more, so comparison shopping is the best bet. Be sure to get a bracelet not glazed or lacquered since no copper at all can be absorbed. Usually, copper bracelets are completely safe, but a few rare diseases could be problematic, such as Wilson’s disease. It’s always best to check with a doctor before trying any alternative treatments.

Arthritis (www.cdc.gov/arthritis/) is a well-known disease, which in its many forms affects approximately 40 million Americans, and as much as 350 million people throughout the world, according to Medicine.Net (www.medicinenet.com/arthritis/article.htm).

Arthritis has many types of potential treatments (http://www.arthritis.org/) including exercise, modified diets, and other lifestyle changes, as well as medications including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), steroids, disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), and sometimes even surgery to repair damaged joints.

Other treatments involve alternative or homeopathic treatments such as acupuncture, massage and biofeedback, which are used for pain control. Other known but unproven alternative treatments include white raisins soaked in gin (www.arthritis.about.com/od/alternativetreatments/), referenced by both Teresa Heinz Kerry during the 2004 presidential campaign, and Paul Harvey; vinegar and honey; and even snake venom.

Some people attribute the modern usage of copper as a treatment to the renowned psychic and spiritualist Edgar Cayce, who was known for his predictions and healing in the early part of the twentieth century. First popularized in the 1970s, one of the most common home remedies for arthritis has been wearing pieces of copper, usually as bracelets. These bracelets also often contain magnets on opposite ends of the bracelets. Though this is a relatively modern take on what is sometimes known as “copper healing,” the practice dates back to ancient Egypt, where it was common for wounds to be treated with copper.

The Aztecs and the ancient Persians also used copper to treat various ailments, according to Wikipeida (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copper_healing).

The current theory on why and how copper works to ease arthritis pain involves the absorption of copper salts into the body. It is commonly recommended that arthritis patients take a vitamin supplement containing 3mg of copper (http://artzoo.com/health/arthritis.htm) per day. The copper salts may work as an analgesic to ease the pain and reduce swelling in the joints.

Another theory says the electrical charges generated from the body are concentrated through the copper into an acupressure point in the wrist, aiding in the relief of pain. The commonly included magnets in the bracelets help direct this charge. Though the usage of copper bracelets to treat arthritis is considered an alternative, unproven treatment, a 2002 Mayo Clinic study showed that in three quarters of the people studied, copper bracelets were effective in the treatment of musculoskeletal pain which is as effective as the standard drugs used to treat arthritis pain. The only side-effect that has been found to be even slightly unpleasant in this treatment is a discoloration of the skin with which the copper is in contact. The skin in these areas often becomes tinged green. Though the green stain is somewhat difficult to wash off, it is not permanent or harmful.