Briefly describe a specific question, or set of related questions, about a health care test or treatment that this program should consider.

In patients with ostoarthrisis, what is the effectiveness of alkaline ionized water from a Chanson Water ionizer in improving health outcomes and pain and stiffness relief vs. current drug treatments.

Patients would be supplied with a Chanson Water ionizer and prefilter. Only patients who agreed to drink ½ ounce per day of water for every 1 pound of body weight would qualify for the study.

Drinking the water, starting at a 8.5 ph and building up to a 9.5 ph, would hydrate and alkalize patients over time and allow their bodies to heal and stabilize themselves. Additionally for temporary pain relief while the body is healing, patients would place a compress of 10 ph alkaline water externally on the joints with pain for immediate pain reduction.

Patients would rate pain and stiffness separately on a scale of 1-10 on a monthly or quarterly basis as well as their continued need for any current drugs they are taking. In addition their blood will be tested on an on going basis as outlined below. One might also consider excluding the consumption of acidic drinks like sodas of any kind during the testing period.

Does your question include a comparison of different health care approaches? (If no, your topic will still be considered.)

yes

If yes, explain the specific technologies, devices, drugs, or interventions you would like to see compared:

Usual care for patients with osteoarthritis compared to the effectiveness of alkaline ionized water produced by a Chanson Water Ionizer.

We are proposing a double blind study of up to 100 patients for a period of 12 months. And we are able to provide Chanson Water ionizers with working ionization plates and as a placebo, Chanson Water ionizers with non-working ionization plates. Unlike other brands, the purity of the Chanson water ionizers titanium plates and the lack of added minerals or chemicals in its filter, Make Chanson Water ionizers the perfect choice to produce medical grade medicinal alkaline ionized water that will help the body adjust and heal itself.

What patients or group(s) of patients does your question apply to? (Please include specific details such as age range, gender, coexisting diagnoses, and indications for therapy.)

Patients with osteoarthritis of any age and degree.

Are there subgroups of patients that your question might apply to? (For example, an ethnic group, stage or severity of a disease.)

Sub-groups include adults over 25. baseline clinical status (height, weight, exercise tolerance, urine and saliva ph levels, nutritional status, erythrocyte sedimentation rate to test inflammation, a live blood cell analysis, blood sugar levels, cholesterol levels and blood pressure levels; and/or the nature, extent, and effectiveness of prior treatment(s) should all be measured and considered.

Describe the health-related benefits you are interested in. (For example, improvements in patient symptoms or problems from treatment or diagnosis.)

We expect that pain and stiffness levels and measurable inflammation levels and the need for some medications will go down as urine ph rises from the consumption of alkaline ionized water produced by a Chanson Water ionizer. Improvements in patients pain symptoms as rated on a scale of 1-10 and measured by a decreased need for additional medications are expected as well as potential weight loss for overweight patients. The decreased weight loss is significant as a 1 pound weight loss is expected to take up to 4 pounds of stress off of arthritic joints. We also expect that patients will have found that the external use of 10 ph alkaline ionized water brought them temporary pain relief prior to their body adjusting internally.

Secondary expected results are a decrease of blood sugar, cholesterol levels, inflammation levels and high blood pressure if previously present and they were abnormal to begin with. It is also expected that some patients will be able to go off of some medications and their overall health and blood quality will improve. Other potential benefits that may be found present would be better digestion as determined by more frequent bowel movements.

It should be expected that placebo patients will also have some improvement over medication only as the quality and quantity of water (we will provide advanced pre filter to remove toxins) will still be greater than they are used to.

Describe any health-related risks, side effects, or harms that you are concerned about.

Unlike other brands, the purity of the Chanson water ionizers titanium plates and the lack of added minerals or chemicals in its filter allows it to produce medical grade medicinal alkaline ionized water that will help the body adjust and heal itself.

There are almost no possible negative side effects except the following, slight detoxification symptoms during the first days of consumption, increased urination for a temporary period where a patient will drink one glass of water and urinate out three times as much. This is a normal and temporary part of detoxification. If dry mouth, diarrhea, headache present, patient should drop down to a lower level of ph for a period of at least seven days before graduating to a higher level of consumption.

Risks are minimal and almost non-existent for serious side effects. A very small fraction of a percentage of the population is already alkaline and may have side effects from more alkalization of the body, but this is not expected to be found in a person that is ill. It would be more likely with a person on a completely healthy raw food, vegetarian type diet.

Appropriateness for EHC Program

Does your question include a health care drug, intervention, device, or technology available (or likely to be available) in the U.S.?

yes

Which priority area(s) and population(s) does this topic apply to? (check all that apply)

EHC Priority Conditions (updated in 2008)

• Arthritis and nontraumatic joint disorders

AHRQ Priority Populations

• Low income groups
• Minority groups
• Women
• Elderly

Federal Health Care Program

• Medicaid
• Medicare

Importance

Describe why this topic is important.

In America alone, an estimated 70 million people suffer from the debilitating effects of some form of arthritis or joint pain. Most of the sufferers will seek out expensive medical treatment offering nothing more than harsh side-effects but millions will allow the disease to run its course and make life miserable. 7.1 Billion dollars is spent annually on knee and hip replacement surgery. 400 Million spent annually on Glucosamine and Chondroitin Osteoarthritis is by far the most common type of arthritis, and the percentage of people who have it grows higher with age. An estimated 12.1 percent of the U.S. population (nearly 21 million Americans) age 25 and older have osteoarthritis. As the population ages, the number of people with osteoarthritis will only grow. By 2030, 20 percent of Americans – about 72 million people – will have passed their 65th birthday and will be at high risk for the disease. Insurers footed $149.4 billion of the total medical spend and out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditures were $36.1 billion (2007 dollars) The impact of arthritis on society is substantial. The costs of arthritis may be categorized into three groups: direct, indirect and intangible. Direct medical costs, such as physician (and other health professional) fees, charges for laboratory tests and X-rays, drugs, assistive devices, surgeries and other costs, are the most obvious. However, a substantial part of the economic burden comes from indirect costs, such as lost wages due to work disability. In addition, people experience intangible costs, such as the need for a spouse or relative to take time off from work to bring a patient to a caregiver, travel for medical care, or money spent to remodel the home to meet the needs of a person with arthritis, and many others," said the Arthritis Foundation. This device is now available but the population would benefit if it were available as a medical device that the insurance companies would pay for. Chanson water ionizers in the hands of

What specifically motivated you to ask this question? (For example, you are developing a clinical guideline, working with a policy with large uncertainty about the appropriate approach, costly intervention, new research you have read, items in the media you may have seen, a clinical practice dilemma you know of, etc.)

Alkaline ionizer water as made by water ionizers has been studied and in use in Asia for over 30 years. In some countries ionizers are in 20% of the homes and are used as medical devices in hospitals, yet few if any studies have been conducted in the United States. I personally have had two types of arthritis as I was first diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at age 10. In my 20’s I fell and injured my knee leaving it severely arthritic for over 20 years that made me think I would need a knee replacement surgery in my future. I was not a believer in Alkaline Ionized water when I began drinking it and had no expectation of any benefit. However I was shocked when about 30 days into drinking it I realized that my knee pain was gone and it hasn’t returned since which has been almost 5 years. I would love to see other people enjoy the health related benefits of a water ionizer and not be subject to the side effects of some drugs and even surgeries.

Does your question represent uncertainty for clinicians and/or policy-makers? (For example, variations in clinical care, controversy in what constitutes appropriate clinical care, or a policy decision.)

no

If yes, please explain:

Potential Impact

How will an answer to your research question be used or help inform decisions for you or your group?

Proper documentation of the actual benefits of Alkaline Ionized water as produced by a Chanson Water would help us to get approval for it’s use by the FDA and insurance companies. That approval would potentially save companies billions of dollars and help arthritis suffers have a side-effect free choice to pain relief that could improve their long term health and well being.

Describe the timeframe in which an answer to your question is needed.

This is an urgent need as the demand for costly and potentially harmful arthritis drugs is constantly increasing. Currently it is estimated that HALF of all Americans will suffer from arthritis in their knees and HALF of them will require replacement surgery costing as much as $50,000 each.

Describe any health disparities, inequities, or impact on vulnerable populations your question applies to.

I’m not qualified to answer that.

Nominator Information

Other Information About You: (optional)

Please choose a description that best describes your role or perspective: (you may select more than one category if appropriate)

Proper documentation of the actual benefits of Alkaline Ionized water as produced by a Chanson Water would help us to get approval for it’s use by the FDA and insurance companies. That approval would potentially save companies billions of dollars and help arthritis suffers have a side-effect free choice to pain relief that could improve their long term health and well being.

Are you making a suggestion as an individual or on behalf of an organization?

Individual

Please tell us how you heard about the Effective Health Care Program

found you online