Arthritis has become a 21st century epidemic, affecting 1 out of every 4 people. Even more shocking is that 30% of adults age 45-64 have doctor diagnosed arthritis.

Something has changed in our environment, making all types of arthritis more and more prevalent.

Inflammation is the most basic problem in all arthritis, whether it is what we traditionally call “inflammatory arthritis,” like autoimmune rheumatoid arthritis, or the arthritis most associated with wear and tear on joints over time, osteoarthritis.

The traditional medical approach to these two kinds of joint inflammation is to use medications to block the inflammation process. Although these can be successful in decreasing symptoms and can in some cases prevent further joint destruction, the medications don’t get at the root cause of why you developed the inflammation in the first place.

Functional medicine takes a deeper look at the causes of inflammation and gives you options for reversing the process where it starts: in the gut, in the mouth, from your food, and from the stress response.

Traditionally, doctors almost never evaluate these areas when addressing joint pain, but fortunately functional medicine has the tools to do just that.

In this interview, Dr. Susan Blum presents a new way to treat arthritis. In her new book, Healing Arthritis, you will learn the best food plan for arthritis, the precise supplements and dosage we recommend to reduce pain and inflammation, how to build resiliency so that life’s stressors won’t affect your health, and what your gut has to do with your arthritis symptoms. In essence, Dr. Blum gives you all the tools you need to fix your gut and heal your arthritis. I am so excited to share this interview with you. I hope you enjoy it.

Wishing you health and happiness,

Mark Hyman, MD