God Awful Gout

In my practice I treat Gout with diet, acupuncture and herbal medicine. I have personal experience with Gout being surprised by it's fiery pain when I was 3 months pregnant and carrying around my one year old on my hip. I was convinced I had broken my foot it was so excruciatingly painful. As I go hobbling into my favorite orthopaedist's office I was shocked when 1. he didn't even touch my foot and 2. made no dietary recommendations to treat Gout. Due to my pregnancy I was unable to treat it from a western perspective with toxic drugs anyways. It was a quick and worthless $350 visit to my local doc.




I knew immediately I needed foods to neutralize uric acid in my body including: cherries, blueberries, and strawberries. I was also keen to avoid purine-rich foods that were already part of my pregnancy no-no list: shellfish, alcohol, organ meat, gravies; and included some surprises like: spinach, asparagus, mushrooms, and cauliflower.



Gout attacks are caused by excessive deposit of uric acid in the joints (particularly the large toe) that crystallize and cause unbearable pain. Some people experience a rapid onset out of the blue, that is until they talk to me.  I had one patient who couldn't understand why she had unrelenting pain in her feet.  After further inquiry I suspected Gout.  Again, baffled she felt that was impossible "it was an old man's disease".  After I reviewed the unsuspecting culpirts in certain foods she shared her detox diet she has just put herself on....several pounds of spinach in a shake every day for several weeks and one evening out for all you can eat shrimp. 

Her body was most likely bombarded with uric acid causing the upbrupt onset.  I treated her with acupuncture and dietary changes using the principles of clearing heat and alleviating pain.  If you or someone you know suffers from unbearable foot pain it just may be gout.  Call your closest Acupuncturist http://www.acufinder.com/  and start eating your cherries, blueberries and strawberries immediately.