Tai chi is one of those things that can look awfully funny to outsiders: A group of people, standing in rows, moving slowly and silently as if fighting in a low-speed martial- arts tournament.

But did you know that those slow, deliberate movements could bring some serious pain relief? Maybe these folks are the ones getting the last laugh… because a new study finds that tai chi can help people cope with knee osteoarthritis.

Here’s an analogy that arthritis patients might appreciate.

When the house is on fire you don’t call carpenters, you call firemen. Firemen first, carpenters later.

That sound logic comes from Frank Schonlau, Ph.D. – a biochemist and medical researcher. He used the analogy to speculate on an ideal treatment for joint pain that would begin with Pycnogenol supplements.

You may ease your symptoms of colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, and other inflammatory disorders without taking drugs. That‘s what new scientific research out of Australia suggests.

But before we get into the details, let‘s get a grip on how these problems take hold in the first place.

Why your immune system goes rogue...

I used to workin an office where every two months we’d get a visit from Gus.

Gus was the bug guy. He was very friendly, so we all liked him just fine. But we hated to see him at the reception desk.

He always stunk up the place.

Dear Pharmacist,

My neighbor swears by apple cider vinegar and every time I complain about my health, she rants about the vinegar.  I haven’t tried it, but I have to say she looks fairly healthy and never gets sick.  Do you think there’s something to it? 

--P.B.,  Lodi, California

Dear Pharmacist,

I have painful arthritis (psoriatic) and I heard that my medicine can cause cancer on the news.  I am afraid of it being recalled because I need my Enbrel.

--D.T. Seattle, Washington

"It's my arthritis, dear. I can't knit or play piano anymore." "I don't remember the last time I went jogging. The arthritis is so bad." Do these statements sound familiar? If so, you're typical of millions of Americans who suffer from an inflammatory condition such as arthritis, or who have helplessly watched the suffering of arthritic parents or grandparents.

First of all, please recognize that this document is NOT intended to be a comprehensive or exhaustive analysis of apple cider vinegar. However you can help add to the current understanding of this topic by adding your own comments at the bottom of this page.

New research shows that pynogenol, an extract from pine bark, significantly decreases pain and inflammation related to arthritis.  The study followed 156 patients with painful arthritis of the knee; 77 were given 100mg of pycnogenol per day, while the remaining 79 were given a placebo.