I get arthritis in my fingers sometimes. When I do feel the arthritis in my
fingers, I use a product called Trameel. It's actually a homeopathic
cream. You don't use a lot. It smells pleasant and it's effective.
I have arthritis in my neck too as a result of two car accidents. I use an
ice pack. I place the ice pack on the back of my neck right at the base of
my neck. I leave it on for about 10 minutes. Then I take another new
ice pack out of the freezer and put this ice pack which is limp after 10
minutes into the freezer. I alternate these ice packs for atleast an hour
with no more than 10 minutes on my neck. Sometimes my neck hurts
and I take the ice pack to sleep with me. I put the ice pack under my
neck and go to sleep while it's under my neck. It's really helpful and
helps a lot of really humid nights. Be well. Eve
Natural remedies are definitely worth a try and might make you feel better, but there is nothing known that will cure the underlying disease and prevent joint damage. Most patients I know use prescription meds along with natural treatments like heat, ice, massage, reiki, acupunture, homeopathy, diet changes, exercise, and more. I do believe Reiki has helped me take fewer meds but I still have the disease. With proper, aggressive treatment you may be one of the lucky ones that achieves remission.
RA is a real disease with real, sometimes fatal, consequences if left untreated. It affects so much more than just joints - eyes, skin, internal organs, etc. I hope you will treat RA as just as real a disease as cancer or diabetes, because that's what it is. Not trying to frighten you, but impress upon you that this is nothing to fool around with. It's not a rash that will go away with a little aloe gel.
Hang in there!
I have heard of a lot of different remedies. I have OA in my shoulder, and I have tried over the counter, prescription, and home remedies. I have tried Certo and grape juice, tylenol arthritis, Celebrex, and the off brand of something similar. So far I have found that Celebrex works the best, especially when paired with physical exercise. Lifting light weights, doing push-ups on a wall, even just arm circles and stretching. It sounds like it would make it worse, but it actually helps a lot!