Joint diseases with current medical development cannot be completely cured. Science does not stand still but has not yet found a remedy that can restore damaged tissues caused by pathology. Patients have to try every drug and method to find a cure. Usually, traditional medicine cannot give it an effective way. And then the patient began to wonder about how to cure knee osteoarthritis with folk remedies.
Advantages and disadvantages of traditional medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine to treat osteoarthritis of the knee is widely applied by folklore. The disease is difficult to treat, gradually the ability to move limbs is limited. Even traditional therapies focus solely on pain relief and preventing complications. Patients and doctors have conflicting views on traditional medicine, but they still use it when traditional medicine does not bring desired results.
Treatment of knee osteoarthritis with folk remedies has both advantages and disadvantages. The pluses include:
- availability and low cost of most materials;
- many medicinal plants that strengthen the immune system;
- less side effects;
- Easy to use.
The raw materials for treating knee effusion with folk remedies are often put into preparation by pharmaceutical companies. Therefore, in most cases, alternative medicine will be safe if the dosage and rules of use are followed. It's also important to note that the recipes people use to treat osteoarthritis of the knee are passed on by word of mouth and have stood the test of time. However, care must be taken. Before using any medication, talk to your doctor and listen to their recommendations.
Like any other method, folk methods also have limitations:
- risk of allergic reactions;
- many methods are denied by traditional medicine, their effectiveness has not been confirmed by research;
- Some recipes available on the Internet or published in newspapers and magazines are incorrect. For example, they may contain incompatible components;
- the same plant material produces a different effect, for example, herbs or fruits of different ripeness, etc. v.
Doctors are mostly sympathetic to the use of traditional medicine formulas for this disease. Moreover, they themselves sometimes advise patients on some methods. But for the treatment to be effective, it must be comprehensive. Therefore, using folk remedies, one should not refuse traditional medicine either.
Effective treatments
Basically, folk recipes for knee osteoarthritis suggest how to prepare drugs with anti-inflammatory effects. The effect is achieved by accelerating local metabolism. 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. It, like tradition, includes many techniques and methods of influence. Typically, all kinds of ointments, lotions, compresses and applications are used, i. e. topical agents. It is their effect that is more noticeable. 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 pathology. Therefore, the treatment of knee osteoarthritis grade 2 with folk remedies will no longer give the same good results as at the beginning of the disease.
Local compression
It is difficult to imagine treating knee pain with folk remedies without applying ice. This form of treatment is often preferred by patients. The compress improves blood microcirculation, thereby reducing inflammation and swelling. This makes the joint looser, facilitating movement of the limb. A big plus of compression is that they can often be made from ready-made products.
Consider the popular recipes:
- Compressed oats. Pour boiling water into 5 tablespoons of Hercules. There shouldn't be a lot of water. Cook the cotton balls over low heat for 8-10 minutes. Porridge must be viscous, not thick or watery. Cool the block and cover with cheesecloth or natural cloth. Apply to the affected knee for a few hours. The legs can be fixed with plastic wrap and left overnight.
- Compress horseradish. Grate the root, pour water and keep the heat low. Do not boil, just steam as the water warms up. Then shake off the water, but do not squeeze it out. Wrap in horseradish and place it on your knees for 2 hours. This formula helps relieve pain.
- Compressed cabbage. You need vegetable juice. Soak a wool shawl in the liquid. Apply to joints before going to bed. You can use cabbage leaves mixed with honey. Then fix it with foil. It is very convenient if you leave such a gauze overnight.
As you can see, all ingredients are completely safe. They can only bring harm to people with allergies. Compression should be applied until the main symptom subsides - pain. You can do the course every day, but you should take a break from 21 to 30 days after the treatment. The most convenient way is to apply it before going to bed and leave it overnight.
Tinctures and decoction
Alcohol is 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 often made from herbs with anti-inflammatory effects. You can use coins from one component or from many components. But don't forget to study their interactions with each other.
For tinctures and decoctions for arthritis, the following raw materials are widely used:
- Ganoderma lucidum leaves;
- grass and chamomile flowers;
- chestnuts;
- sword;
- birch buds;
- flower calendula;
- hop cones;
- mugwort.
Topical application of tinctures and decoctions usually has no side effects. Taking them internally, you should be careful. In addition to allergic reactions, they can also cause disruptions in the digestive tract.
It should be remembered that it is better to use only a freshly prepared product.
Healing herbal bath
Many patients are constantly searching for answers to the question of how to relieve pain in knee osteoarthritis, they have discovered healing bath remedies. Localization of the pathology slightly complicates the procedure. It is more convenient to take a full body bath with herbs. With their help, the patient not only works on the knee, but also relaxes, which is also very important for the treatment.
Baths with pine needles are very useful (can be used together with twigs). The raw material is dipped in hot water, incubated until the water cools to an acceptable temperature, and then removed. You can take a bath in this water for 20 minutes. Jerusalem artichoke is also used to prepare the bath. A few grated tubers are washed, chopped and dipped in hot water. Add a spoonful of turpentine and bathe when the water cools a bit.
For a noticeable effect, the procedure should be carried out for 10-12 days in a row.
Mud therapy
Treatment of keloids is often prescribed by doctors for patients with dry joints. The patient is sent to a sanatorium, where sludge with the appropriate properties is used. Saki and Essentuki are very popular in our country. Such therapy helps to accelerate the recovery process, normalizes blood circulation and local metabolism.
In addition to the effect on bones and joints, mud therapy removes toxins and toxins from the body, also has a positive effect in the treatment of diseases. Often, after rehabilitation at a nursing home or a resort, patients notice improvement and a sense of well-being, which makes subsequent treatment easier.
Application with medicinal plants
Applications with various additives are made to patients during physiotherapy in the hospital. But at home, you can perform such procedures using herbs and paraffin wax. Applications are also made from mud or therapeutic clay, enriched with plant decoction.
The difference between this method and conventional methods of application is that the lotion must have a chemical, thermal, and mechanical effect on the affected area. This is achieved by applying a vegetable gel to the knee, which has an irritating effect. You can preheat it to add a thermal effect. The mechanical effect can be achieved by applying adhesive tape to the knee with watermelon, sunflower, melon or buckwheat seeds glued to the knee.
Rubbing with camphor and fat
In folk medicine, it is often used to treat joints with camphor essential oil. The substance is used both in its pure form and in mixtures with other ingredients. It is believed that this partially restores joint lubrication, but this is a controversial claim that has yet to be confirmed by mainstream medicine. One thing is for sure - folk remedies with camphor provide effective pain relief. For the treatment of knee osteoarthritis, 10% oil is required, but alcohol is also suitable.
Patients note a positive effect after rubbing with fat. Badger meat is most often used, less often than pork or beef. The latter are often used as the basis for herbal ointments. Badger fat is also used in its pure form.
Fat and camphor in the form of rubbing dilate blood vessels, thereby providing blood flow to the knees and improving dehydration.
Effective pack with mummy and honey
There is another effective formula that contains the answer to the question of how to cure the knee joint. Folk treatments often involve the use of mummy - a naturally occurring resinous substance. When mixed with bee products, it has a strong analgesic effect. To prepare the remedy, it is necessary to combine 100 g of liquid honey and 0. 5 g of mummy.
Wrapping is done in the evening and left overnight, by tomorrow morning they will wash off the remnants. The procedure is repeated for 10 days, then they rest for 2-3 days and, if desired, continue the course.
Hirudotherapy
This method does not quite fit the definition of "folk treatment", because it can only be done in the clinic, but it is still considered unconventional. According to the observations of specialists, hirudotherapy is very effective in treating knee osteoarthritis. The use of leeches as medicine can only be part of a complex therapy.
This effect is due to enzymes injected into the patient's bloodstream during the bite. Thanks to these substances, blood circulation is improved and pain is relieved.
When to give up alternative treatments?
Treatment of knee joints with folk remedies is not always effective and helpful. It should be understood that with grade 2 and 3 joint damage, first of all, it is necessary to follow the doctor's recommendations. In this situation, traditional medicine will not help, but will aggravate the problem. Non-conventional treatment should be discontinued immediately if new symptoms appear, pain increases, or an allergic reaction occurs. You also need to see a doctor for advice on the appropriateness of using folk remedies.
Today, doctors are looking for a cure that can help cure joint diseases, undeniably natural medicines. As with any remedy, care should be taken not to neglect the orthodox medicine.