Copper and Arthritis 7

Copper Bracelet

Sometimes longevity confers respect along with age.

Artifacts that were rarely noticed in their day
take on new meaning and value as they persist
throughout time.

Such is the case with the copper bracelet,
which for decades has been worn for arthritis
pain relief and remains popular today.

Studies have shown that some people with
arthritis seem to have difficulty metabolizing
copper from the food they eat, leading to
increased pain.

The dissolved copper from [a copper] bracelet
bypasses the oral route by entering the body
through the skin. This might be the only way
arthritics ever receive the copper their
bodies need -copper that studies have shown
can indeed relieve pain.

Physicians remain somewhat skeptical about
bracelets but don't entirely dismiss them, either.

Copper may have a role. It's possible that a
copper deficiency does increase joint
inflammation, and it doesn't seem that
supplementing copper in the diet has the
same effect as wearing it.

Home Health Care