Gout is an extremely painful type of arthritis in which crystalline deposits of uric acid form within the joints. Although it typically strikes the base of the big toe (up to 60% of initial attacks occur here), it can occur in any joint. An estimated 840 out of 100,000 people, usually between the ages of 30 and 50, get gout. It is 20 times more common among men than women. Women rarely get gout before the onset of menopause. Some families are genetically predisposed, and African-Americans as well as individuals with poor kidney function are more likely to suffer gout attacks.

Types of Gout:

Primary Gout is a genetic disorder of uric acid metabolism leading to high levels of serum uric acid. High serum uric acid levels cause monosodium urate crystals to precipitate out of solution into a joint, usually only one at a time, at least in the early stages of the disease. The presence of urate crystals in a joint sets off an immune response which causes the body to attack the internal components of the joint, leading to extreme pain and eventually joint destruction.

Secondary Gout (10% of cases) results from catabolism secondary to leukemias and certain other cancers, or decreased excretion of uric acid due to renal failure. Uric acid rate of solubility is greatly affected by temperature, which is why the majority of cases present in a distal extremity. It is thought that the crystals also have a tendency to form on a roughened surface, such as a joint that has suffered from previous trauma, unreduced subluxation, or degeneration.

More Information How Gout Develops?

Gout is caused by elevated blood levels of uric acid, a waste product of the breakdown of cells and proteins. This excess can be due to an increase in uric acid production as well as the inability of the kidneys to adequately clear uric acid from the body. Certain foods, such as shellfish, and excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages may increase uric acid levels and precipitate gout attacks. Obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and medications can also increase uric acid levels. With time, the elevated levels of uric acid in the blood may form needle-like crystals in the joints, leading to acute and very painful gout attacks. Uric acid may also collect under the skin, which is known as tophi or in the urinary tract as kidney stones.

What are the Symptoms of Gout?

History may reveal previous insidious episodes of pain and edema at a distal extremity; a high-purine diet; an excessive intake of alcohol (particularly beer); the use of diuretics: the use of aspirin; the low intake of water; a very reduced caloric intake (leading to catabolism); or a family history of gout.

Treatment Options for Gout:

Conventional medical treatments may help relieve the symptoms of gout, but they do not address the root of the problem. By strengthening structural weaknesses and addressing imbalances in the body, as natural treatments such as with chiropractic care, pain associated with gout may be alleviated permanently.

The allopathic (medical) drug of choice for the treatment of gout is allopurinol. Although effective in reducing serum uric acid levels, allopurinol may precipitate over 30 adverse side effects, including abdominal pain, hepatitis, headache, kidney failure, hair loss, muscle disease and joint pain. The most common side effect is a sometimes fatal skin reaction in which one's skin peels off in sheets.

The natural approach to the treatment of gout includes counseling the patient on dietary changes, with a reduction of high-purine foods, increased consumption of water (at least 64 ounces per day), along with 12-16 ounces of cherry juice per day and the elimination of alcohol, especially beer. Aspirin should be avoided, as it raises uric acid levels. Over-the-counter (OTC) medications such as Aleve may be substituted, as it lowers uric acid levels, but it can cause stomach problems. In the acute and chronic stages, laser, ultrasound, heat, gentle chiropractic manipulative therapy and gentle soft-tissue massage are beneficial.

Foods to Avoid:

• high-purine foods
  
• organ meats
• bouillon
• gravies
• seafood
• goose
• yeast (baker's and brewer's)
• sweetbreads

• foods with moderate purine content
• fish
• meat
• poultry
• asparagus
• beans
• lentils

• diuretics
• alcohol, especially beer
  
• niacin