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Bell's Palsy and Osteoarthritis

So my Mom woke up with Bell’s Palsy a couple of month’s ago. She is convinced it hasn’t gotten any better. I see her only every few months and I think perhaps it has gotten a bit better. Basically she has just been told to increase her B12 and get rest. Does anyone have any experience with this? Have any miracle cures I can try and pass along to her? I think her biggest concern right now is that it just isn’t ever going to go away..

She is also suffering from some crippling osteoarthritis. She recently looked into cutting tomatoes out of her diet. She was on a steroid for about 5 minutes after she was diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy that made her feel great for the first time in years. She was able to walk upright, run up and down the stairs.. But now she is back to being in terrible pain. Any ideas for this would be greatly appreciated as well.

Over the years I have slowly been able to coax my mom into becoming increasingly closer to being a vegetarian and including many more organics in her diet.. She has been to a naturopath and acupuncturist for her osteoarthritis.. But didn’t see much in the way of results so I think she might be looking to go back the way of conventional medicine. I am desperate for her not to and to keep trying a more natural route but my own research isn’t turning up too many new answers. I hope you guys can help me out!

Thanks!!!

Comments

  • germin8germin8 Raw Master

    Wow, I remember this happened to a relative of mine. She recovered after a while… but didn’t take “anything” for it… just let it take its course. Are there long term effect to Bell’s Palsy (even if one recovers)?

    Apple cider vinegar is supposed to help arthritis. Although, it doesn’t work for everyone. I think a teaspoon with water throughout the day… and again before going to bed. (Hmmm, but I don’t remember the quantities. This is just from someone who told me of their success and their co-workers success with apple cider vinegar and arthritis.) It didn’t work for my mother-in-law. It worked for a few days, then stopped working. So, I forgot the quantities/ratios.

  • I think once (if it goes away) there aren’t any long term effects.. You know, my mom went to the doctor when it first happened and he told her she would probably just stay like that and at least she wasn’t going to die or anything. I mean.. #^$#%&$ Sigh. It’s no wonder she is depressed by the current options she has (or has not) been given. Thanks germin8.. I will recommend she try the ACV.. I know she has a bottle at her house because she keeps it around for when I am over. Hehe.

  • germin8germin8 Raw Master

    The relative of mine that had Bell’s Palsy had it almost 15 years ago… and I think she still experiences other symptoms but not on her face …more like shakiness in the extremeties or something. Not sure if she has that anymore. Back when she got Bell’s Palsy, she went to the ER and they “burned” some vein to close it or keep it from bleeding. (not to familiar with the details, just from what I remember). She had to patch her eye shut daily, and especially at night. But, she slowly and completely recovered. I am guessing it took a month or two.

    I don’t know how one “gets” Bell’s Palsy. I hope for the best for your mom. I hope she gains mobility.

    I hope the ACV works too! And maybe she wants to eat more raw! (don’t know your mom though)

  • There is a lot of information about Bell’s Palsy on this site www.bellspalsy.ws. My son developed it a few months ago, he was put on a short course of steroids and then just waited for it to heal. It took about 2 months for a complete recovery, but can take a lot longer depending on the damage to the nerve.

    He was transitioning to 811rv at the time but had a pretty healthy diet and lifestyle before.

    For the arthritis, the cider vinegar helped me a lot. Dissolve one teaspoon of clear honey in a tumbler of hot water, then add one dessertspoon of cider vinegar. Drink this 3 times a day.

    I found a book that recommended this along with cutting out citrus fruit and eating less meat and dairy. It worked very well for me but since changing my diet to 811rv I have had no problems at all and I eat all the citrus fruit I want.

  • I spoke with my mom today and it doesn’t sound like she is getting much better..in either department. She tried the ACV but had problems getting it down. She has this problem with her mouth where certain foods cause terrible burning sensations on her tongue. Her naturopath has been helping her try to solve this problem for years and all she has really been able to do is identify the foods that cause her discomfort.. sadly.. the ACV looks like it really really bothers her and she is finding it difficult to get into her mouth. She was able to do it once and is actually scared to do it again because of the pain.. I think more than anything now she is super depressed because she feels like shes tried everything.. or can’t try it due to some catch 22 thing. Thanks for all the insight guys. It’s been very helpful and my mom has appreciated my sharing it with her!

  • BluedolfinBluedolfin Raw Newbie

    loorin~ If you/your mom is open to a non-toxic option that addresses foundational nutritional needs (rebuilding at the cellular level), email me.

    Much healing energy to your mom.

  • randommararandommara Raw Newbie

    I had Bell’s palsy when I was a teenager as a result of having chicken pox. The doctor put me on some medication that was supposed to have a high number of dangerous complications. It was so long ago that I don’t have a clue what it was. One whole side of my face was slack and I couldn’t keep water in my mouth but with in a short period of time with the medicine I made an awesome recovery. I usually don’t support medical doctors but Bell’s palsy is a sudden and scary thing that doesn’t seem to have anything to do with diet. I still have one eye that is slightly more open than the other and one eyebrow a little higher but no one seems to notice it but me. This would have been about 1985? Maybe you can research what the standard meds were at the time. Good luck!

  • rawforhealthrawforhealth Raw Newbie

    acv is good for arthrtis. (I too have an inflammatory disease)....yes,,,all the root veggies..potatoes, tomatoes, pepper, eggplant contribute to inflammation,,,i am eating a bit of tomatoes for the first time in years since i have cut many other inflammation causing foods out…do you know if the naturopath checked her for candida,liver problems, “leaky gut”, or vitamin deficiences?? I am asking because I have had these and have a cracked tongue..as a result, my tongue is supersensitive. Also..if she can’t do the ACV on it’s own, she can make salad dressings with it instead of regular vinegar.

    I worked with people with chronic illness and I too have been in a catch 22 with things and know the feeling like I’ve tried everything, so most of all. be patient with her and understand why she would want to go back to conventional medicine…I know it is hard to see her want to do that but truth is conventional medicine offers very quick relief and is inexpensive, unlike naturopathic which, while safer and more long lasting, takes alot longer and can be so expensive until you find what works for you. Remind her that change will come and it’s a matter of finding that thing that WILL work for her….if she is totally miserable, perhaps if she went on a very low dose of the meds while she works on stuff more holistically rather than going back on a ton of meds…

    Diet can help inflammation but often needs to be in conjunction with other modalities, which her naturopath is hopefully working on.

    I normally don’t like to bring this up, but has she ever been tested for lyme disease? It can cause sudden bells palsy and arthritis, among other issues….just curious (problem with lyme disease testing is that it’s not accurate (I know too well..i have late stage neuro lyme)

    Best of everything to her!!

    p.s. i used to run a chronic illness support group in person and online….online support groups for chronic illness can be helpful to obtain support from others who understand and know what it’s like to feel like giving up…though one must be careful they don’t join one where there is too much negative energy and also one in which the people are not open to natural healthcare and are just “pill poppers”...i have left groups because of this.

  • rawmamarawmama Raw Newbie

    I’m so sorry that you Mom is going thru this, it must be very tramatic for her :( Will pray for her and will let you know if I find anything about Bell’s Palsy…I do know a girl that had this happen to her the day after her child was born. It has been 7 years and if you didn’t know she had had it, you wouldn’t notice it at all, she has gotten sooooo much better, she’s 99% better, only a tiny, tiny corner of her mouth is affected now instead of the entire side of her face/eyes/mouth. She was not told to do anything, just that it would probably return to normal, but just take time.

    Here’s info on Brian Clement’s site for Osteoarthritis that I had found: http://www.aliveraw.com/Articles/Osteoarthritis…

  • thank you rawmama! i just sent my mom that link. i think what is most troubling to my mom is that everyone is told her it will get better.. in a lot of cases it got beter within 1 or 2 months and i feel like she isnt seeing any improvement. i would tend to disagree but i really only see her every few months since we live so far away. ah well. i think if she knows there are people supporting her and options she can consider it may help. i think it may be a good thing if i may move home for awhile too.. i am not sure. she is really having a rough go at things these days it seems. i really appreciate all the support you guys have been giving me.. it gives me plenty of ideas to springboard off of and ideas to cheer her up!

  • rawmamarawmama Raw Newbie

    Hi loorin, How is everything going? I did a quick search for causes of Bell’s Palsy and since it is a nerve issue, have you researched foods that help to relax nerves or rebuild nerves?

    Here’s info from one site that recommends massages to help the muscles remain stretchy so they can bouce back easier:

    How Is It Treated? http://kidshealth.org/kid/health_problems/brain… Because the facial nerve often repairs itself, doctors usually just help the person deal with the symptoms until they get better. It’s rare that a doctor would do surgery for Bell’s palsy. Instead, he or she might prescribe medicine to reduce the swelling or fight the virus to help speed up recovery. Massages can keep the facial muscles stretchy so that they can bounce back quickly once the nerve heals. Someone with Bell’s palsy will likely need eye drops (and maybe an eye patch) for a while. A few people might have continuing problems with one eye, their sinuses, or facial muscles, but most people make a full recovery. The symptoms may go away suddenly or get better a little bit each day.

  • rawmamarawmama Raw Newbie

    Here are other sites with suggestions for Bells Palsy. Do a search on google for this exact wording and you will find a slew of testimonies on what people have done…I hope that you find some simple answers to help your Mom. Keep her stress down if possible, she’s lucky to have you :)

    Google: healing bells palsy naturally

    This site has numerous testimonies:

    http://heartsongbooks.com/bells2.html

    This site gives some natural things to try, like cayenne, Echinacea and goldenseal:

    http://herbs.lovetoknow.com/Bells_Palsy_Cured_N…

    http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=325…

    One lady says: I have treated bells palsy very succesfully with acupuncture. 5 months later will make it harder…the sooner you get treated the higher the success rate but my patients have had 100% recovery.

    Another lady says: just a thought- bought you might want to research lyme disease and co-infections of it, that is a symptom of that

  • angie207angie207 Raw Master

    For arthritis: ginger, cayenne & flaxseed are all strongly anti-inflammatory. Ginger & cayenne are both available in capsules. bitt’s “Coconut Flax Cakes” (recipe on this site) are a yummy way to eat lots of flax. Good luck to you & your mom!

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