Diseases of the joints with the current development of medicine cannot be completely cured. Science does not stand still, but a remedy that can restore the tissues damaged by the disease has not yet been found. Patients must try all kinds of drugs and methods in search of a cure. Often, traditional medicine cannot offer an effective way. And then the patient begins to wonder how to treat osteoarthritis of the knee joint with folk remedies.
Pros and cons of traditional medicine
Traditional medicine for osteoarthritis of the knee joint is used quite often. The disease is difficult to treat, gradually the mobility of the limbs is limited. Even traditional therapies focus only on pain relief and the prevention of complications. Patients and doctors are ambivalent about traditional medicine, but they still resort to it when traditional medicine does not bring the desired result.
Treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee with folk remedies has both advantages and disadvantages. The pluses include:
- availability and low cost of most materials;
- many medicinal plants help strengthen the immune system;
- few side effects;
- ease of use.
Raw materials that are used to treat the knee with folk remedies are often included in the preparations of pharmaceutical companies. Therefore, in most cases, alternative medicine is safe if you follow the dosage and rules of use. It is also worth noting that the recipes that people use to treat osteoarthritis of the knee have passed from word to mouth and have stood the test of time. Care must be taken, though. Before using any medication, tell your doctor and listen to her advice.
Like any other method, folk methods also have their drawbacks:
- the risk of allergic reactions;
- many methods are disproved by traditional medicine, their effectiveness has not been confirmed by research;
- some of the recipes available on the Internet or published on the pages of newspapers and magazines are incorrect. For example, they may contain incompatible components;
- the same plant material produces a different effect, e. g. herbs or fruits of different ripeness, etc.
Doctors for the most part are in favor of using traditional medicine recipes for this disease. In addition, they themselves sometimes advise the patient on some methods. But for the treatment to be effective, it must be comprehensive. Therefore, using folk remedies, one should not refuse even traditional medicine.
Effective treatment methods
Basically, popular folk recipes for osteoarthritis of the knee joint suggest how to prepare drugs that have anti-inflammatory effects. The effect is achieved by accelerating local metabolic processes. This allows you to relieve pain, thereby improving knee mobility and suspending pathological processes.
Traditional medicine in this case is not limited to decoctions and ointments. Just like the traditional one, it includes many techniques and methods of influence. Most often, all kinds of ointments, rubs, compresses and applications, that is, local agents are used. It is their effect that is most evident. Less commonly, infusions and decoctions are used for oral administration.
It is important to remember that alternative medicine is most effective in the early stages of the disease. So, the treatment of arthrosis of the knee joint of the 2nd degree with folk remedies will no longer show such a good result as at the beginning of the disease.
Local tablets
It is difficult to imagine treating knee pain with folk remedies without compresses. This form of treatment is often preferred by patients. The compress improves blood microcirculation, thereby relieving inflammation and swelling. This makes the joint more flexible, facilitates the movement of the limb. A big advantage of wraps is that they can usually be made with products that are always on hand.
Consider the folk recipes:
- Oat pack. Pour boiling water over 5 tablespoons of Hercules. There shouldn't be a lot of water. Cook the flakes over low heat for 8-10 minutes. The porridge must be viscous, not thick or liquid. Cool the mass and wrap in gauze or natural fabric. Apply to the sore knee for several hours. It can be fixed on the leg with a plastic wrap and left overnight.
- Horseradish wrap. Grate the root, cover with water and put on low heat. Do not bring to a boil, let it steam while the water heats up. Then shake off the water, but don't wring out. Wrap the horseradish in cotton and apply on the knee for 2 hours. This recipe helps relieve pain.
- Cabbage wrap. You need vegetable juice. Dip a wool shawl in the liquid. Apply to the joint before bedtime. You can use a honey-smeared cabbage leaf. Then secure it with foil. It is convenient to leave such a compress overnight.
As you can see, all components are completely safe. They can only harm allergy sufferers. The compresses should be applied until the main symptom is relieved - pain. It is possible to carry out the procedure daily, but it is recommended to take breaks after 21-30 days. It is more convenient to apply compresses before going to bed and leave them overnight.
Tinctures and decoctions
Tinctures are made with alcohol or water. Plants or their components are used as raw materials. Some infusions and decoctions can be used internally, while others are used to prepare compresses or ointments. Infusions and decoctions are usually prepared from herbs that have anti-inflammatory effects. You can use funds from one component or multiple. But don't forget to study their interactions with each other.
For tinctures and decoctions for arthritis, the following raw materials are widely used:
- cranberry leaves;
- chamomile grass and flowers;
- chestnut fruit;
- saber;
- birch buds;
- marigold flowers;
- hop cones;
- wormwood grass.
Topical application of tinctures and decoctions usually have no side effects. Taking them internally, you should be careful. In addition to allergic reactions, they can also cause disorders in the digestive tract.
It is worth remembering that it is best to use only a freshly prepared product.
Herbal healing baths
Many patients, constantly looking for an answer to the question of how to relieve pain in osteoarthritis of the knee joint, discover healing baths. Localization of the pathology slightly complicates the procedure. It will be more convenient to take full-fledged herbal baths. With the help of them, the patient not only acts on the knee, but relaxes, which is also important for treatment.
Useful pine needle baths (can be used together with branches). Raw materials are immersed in hot water, left to ferment until the water cools to an acceptable temperature and removed. This bath can be taken for 20 minutes. Jerusalem artichoke is also used for the preparation of baths. Some tubers are washed and chopped and then immersed in hot water. Add a spoonful of turpentine and take a bath when the water has cooled a little.
In order for the effect to be noticeable, the procedure must be carried out for 10-12 consecutive days.
Mud therapy
Peloid therapy is often prescribed by doctors for patients with osteoarthritis. The patient is sent to a sanatorium where mud with suitable properties is used. Saki and Essentuki are popular in our country. Such therapy helps to accelerate recovery, normalize blood circulation and local metabolism.
In addition to the effect on the joint, the therapeutic mud removes toxins and toxins from the body, which also has a positive effect on the treatment. Usually, after rehabilitation in a sanatorium or resort, the patient notices improvement and is in a good mood, which makes further therapy easier.
Applications with medicinal plants
Applications with various additives are performed on patients during physiotherapy in a hospital setting. But at home, you can carry out such procedures using herbs and paraffin wax. Applications are also made from therapeutic muds or clays, which are enriched with decoctions of plants.
The difference between this method and conventional packs is that the lotion must have a chemical, thermal and mechanical effect on the affected area. This is achieved by applying vegetable gruel to the knee, which has an irritating effect. You can preheat it to add thermal influence. The mechanical effect can be achieved by applying adhesive tape to the knee with watermelon, sunflower, melon or buckwheat seeds glued to it.
Rub with camphor and fat
In folk medicine, treatment of the joints with camphor oil is often practiced. The substance is used both in pure form and in mixture with other components. This is believed to help partially restore joint lubrication, but this is a very controversial claim that has not yet been confirmed by mainstream medicine. One thing is certain - folk remedies with camphor effectively relieve pain. For the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee, 10% oil is required, but alcohol is also suitable.
Patients note a positive effect after rubbing with fats. Badger is most often used, less often pork or beef. The latter usually serve as a basis for herbal ointments. Badger fat is also used in its pure form.
Fats and camphor in the form of rubbing dilate blood vessels, thereby providing blood flow to the knee and improving trophism.
Effective wrapping with mom and honey
There is another effective recipe that contains the answer to the question of how to cure the knee joint. Folk remedies often involve the use of mummy - a resinous substance of natural origin. When mixed with bee products, it has a strong analgesic effect. To prepare the medicine, it is necessary to combine 100 g of liquid honey and 0, 5 g of mummy.
The compresses are made in the evening and left overnight, and in the morning they wash off the remains. The procedure is repeated for 10 days, after which they take a break for 2-3 days and, if desired, continue the course.
hirudotherapy
This method does not quite fit the definition of "folk remedies", because it is only possible in a clinic, but it is still considered unconventional. As shown by the observations of specialists, hirudotherapy is effective for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee joint. The use of medicinal leeches is possible only as part of complex therapy.
The effect is due to the enzymes that are injected into the patient's blood during the bite. Thanks to these substances, blood circulation improves and pain is relieved.
When to forgo alternative treatment
Treatment of the knee with folk remedies is not always possible and useful. It should be understood that with 2 and 3 degrees of joint damage, one should first of all listen to the recommendations of doctors. In this situation, traditional medicine will not help, but rather will aggravate the problem. Unconventional treatment should be stopped immediately if new symptoms occur, pain intensifies, or an allergic reaction occurs. It is also necessary to visit a doctor, where you can consult about the opportunity to use folk remedies.
Today, doctors are looking for a cure that helps cure joint diseases, without denying natural drugs. As with any remedy, care should be taken not to ignore traditional medicine.