Gold therapy is generally recognized as the process of treating the body with gold, through compounds known as gold salts, to help deal with specific conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. Aurotherapy and chrysotherapy are other names for this kind of process. Gold therapy is built on a long human tradition of revering and prizing this precious metal.
As one of the heaviest known elements, gold has a lot of intrinsic value on world markets. Its popular use as currency in prior times demonstrates the collective value that gold has had, and continues to have, for the human community. With gold therapy, even more value is added to this element as a potential solution for healing.
The main potential for gold salt applications, according to some scientists and medical experts, is in limiting inflammation in the joints. Gold therapy is often a considered treatment for juvenile forms of arthritis. It is sometimes valuable in treating patients who would not respond favorably to more complex chemical solutions.
Gold supplements can be injected into the body or administered through oral supplements. Some forms may require testing after application to see that the gold compound was properly received. Results from these compounds, according to medical resources, can take up to six months.
Forms of gold therapy include a potential for a range of side effects. Some patients can experience loss of appetite or nausea. Others experience hair thinning and loose stools. Skin rashes, kidney problems, along with some other side effects have also been reported.
As gold based compounds continue to remain on the market for treating the conditions described above, scientists are still looking at widening the range of applications of gold based drugs. Some report that gold compounds have, in preliminary trials, showed potential for reacting to some types of cancer cells. Other studies indicate that a gold solution added to existing drug treatments might be able to help with treating resistant strains of malaria.
Other more obscure uses for gold are also being studied for their potential in healing sufferers of chronic disease. In Kanzius RF Therapy, a combination of gold particles and RF energy is used to heat and destroy cancer cells. This kind of procedure is still developing with a varied funding base according to the Kanzius Cancer Research Foundation. Although it is still relatively uncommon to see medical experts treating patients with gold, this kind of practice may hold some potential for expanding the way natural remedies are used side by side with chemically produced medications.