Joint diseases with the current development of medicine cannot be completely cured. Science is not at rest, but no cure has yet been found that could repair tissue damaged by pathology. Patients must try all types of medications 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 with folk remedies.
Advantages and disadvantages of traditional medicine
Traditional medicine for osteoarthritis of the knee joint is used quite often. The disease is difficult to treat, limb mobility is gradually limited. Even traditional therapies are aimed only at relieving pain and preventing complications. Patients and doctors are ambivalent towards traditional medicine, but still resort to it when traditional medicine does not bring the desired result.
Treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee with folk remedies has both disadvantages and advantages. Pros include:
- availability and low cost of most materials;
- many herbs help strengthen the immune system;
- several side effects;
- ease of use.
Raw materials 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 the dose and rules of use are followed. It is also worth noting that the recipes that people use to treat osteoarthritis of the knee are passed from mouth to mouth and that they have stood the test of time. However, care must be taken. Before using any medicine, tell your doctor and listen to his recommendations.
Like all other methods, folk methods have their drawbacks:
- risk of allergic reactions;
- many methods are denied by traditional medicine, their effectiveness has not been confirmed by research;
- some of the recipes available online or published on the pages of newspapers and magazines are incorrect. For example, they may contain incompatible components;
- the same plant material produces different effects, for example, herbs or fruits of different degrees of maturity, etc.
Doctors are generally sympathetic to the use of traditional medicine prescriptions for this disease. Moreover, they themselves sometimes advise the patient on some methods. But for treatment to be effective, it must be comprehensive. Therefore, using folk remedies, one should not reject traditional medicine either.
Effective treatment methods
Basically, popular folk recipes for osteoarthritis of the knee suggest how to prepare drugs that have anti-inflammatory action. The effect is achieved by accelerating local metabolic processes. This allows you to relieve pain, which improves the mobility of the knee and stops pathological processes.
Traditional medicine in this case is not limited to decoctions and ointments. It, like the traditional one, includes many techniques and methods of influence. All types of ointments, rubs, coatings and applications, ie local remedies, are most often used. Their effect is more noticeable. Infusions and decoctions are less commonly used for oral administration.
It is important to remember that alternative medicine is most effective in the early stages of pathology. Thus, the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee joint of the 2nd degree with folk remedies will no longer show such a good result as at the very beginning of the disease.
Local linings
It is difficult to imagine the treatment of knee pain folk remedies without compresses. This form of treatment is often preferred by patients. Compression improves blood microcirculation, which alleviates inflammation and swelling. This makes the joint looser, facilitates the movement of the limbs. The big plus of compresses is that they can usually be made from products that are always at hand.
Consider popular recipes:
- Oatmeal compress. Pour 5 tablespoons of Hercules with boiling water. Water should not be much. Cook the flakes on low heat for 8-10 minutes. The porridge should be viscous, not thick or liquid. Cool the mass and wrap it in gauze or natural fabric. Apply to sore knee for several hours. It can be attached to the leg with plastic wrap and left overnight.
- Horseradish compress. Grate the root, pour water over it and put on low heat. Do not cook until boiling, just let it steam while the water heats up. Then shake off the water, but do not squeeze. Wrap horseradish in cotton and apply on the knee for 2 hours. This recipe helps relieve pain.
- Cabbage compression. You need vegetable juice. Soak a woolen scarf in the liquid. Apply to wrist before bed. You can use a cabbage leaf smeared with honey. Then fix 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. Compresses should be applied until the main symptom - pain - is relieved. You can perform the procedure every day, but it is recommended to take breaks after 21-30 days. It is best to put compresses before 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 dressings or ointments. Infusions and decoctions are usually prepared from plants that have anti-inflammatory action. You can use funds from one component or from several. But don’t forget to study their interactions with each other.
The following raw materials are widely used for tinctures and decoctions for arthritis:
- cranberry leaves;
- chamomile grass and flowers;
- chestnut fruit;
- saber;
- birch buds;
- marigold flowers;
- hop cones;
- wormwood grass.
Topical application of tinctures and decoctions usually has no side effects. You should be careful when taking them internally. In addition to allergic reactions, they can also cause disorders of the digestive tract.
It is worth remembering that it is better to use only freshly prepared product.
Medicinal herbal baths
Many patients, in constant search of an answer to the question of how to relieve pain in osteoarthritis of the knee joint, discover medicinal baths. The localization of the pathology complicates the procedure a little. It will be more appropriate to do full-fledged herbal baths. With their help, the patient not only acts on the knee, but also relaxes, which is also important for treatment.
Baths with pine needles are useful (they can be used together with branches). The raw materials are immersed in hot water, left to boil until the water has cooled to an acceptable temperature and removed. This bath can be taken for 20 minutes. Jerusalem artichoke is also used to prepare baths. A few tubers are washed and chopped, and then immersed in hot water. Add a tablespoon of turpentine and bathe when the water has cooled slightly.
In order for the effect to be noticeable, the procedure should be performed 10-12 days in a row.
Mud therapy
Doctors often prescribe peloid therapy to patients with osteoarthritis. The patient is sent to a sanatorium where mud with appropriate properties is used. Saki and Essentuki are popular in our country. Such therapy helps speed up recovery, normalize blood circulation and local metabolism.
In addition to acting on the joint, therapeutic mud removes toxins and toxins from the body, which also has a positive effect on treatment. Usually, after rehabilitation in a sanatorium or resort, the patient notices improvement and mood, which facilitates further therapy.
Application with medicinal herbs
Applications with various additives are performed on patients during physiotherapy in hospital conditions. But at home you can take such procedures using herbs and paraffin wax. Applications are also made of therapeutic mud or clay, which are enriched with plant decoctions.
The difference between this method and conventional dressings is that the lotion must have a chemical, thermal and mechanical effect on the affected area. This is achieved by applying a vegetable paste to the knee, which is irritating. You can preheat it to add heat impact. The mechanical effect is achieved by applying adhesive tape to the knee with glued watermelon, sunflower, melon or buckwheat seeds.
Rubbing with camphor and fat
In folk medicine, the treatment of joints with camphor oil is often practiced. The substance is used in pure form and in a mixture with other components. It is believed that this helps to partially restore the lubrication of the joints, but this is a very controversial statement that has not yet been confirmed by the main medicine. One thing is for sure - folk remedies with camphor effectively relieve pain. 10% oil is needed to treat osteoarthritis of the knee, but alcohol is also suitable.
Patients notice a positive effect after rubbing with ointment. Badger is most commonly used, less often pork or beef. The latter usually serve as the basis for vegetable fats. Badger fat is also used in pure form.
Fats and camphor in the form of rubbing dilate blood vessels, ensuring blood flow to the knees and improving trophism.
Effective wrapping with mummy and honey
There is another effective recipe that contains the answer to the question of how to cure a knee joint. Folk remedies often include the use of mummy - a resinous substance of natural origin. When mixed with bee products, it has a strong analgesic effect. To prepare the drug is necessary to mix 100 g of liquid honey and 0, 5 g of mummy.
Wraps are made in the evening and left overnight, and the remnants are washed off in the morning. The procedure is repeated for 10 days, after which there is a break of 2-3 days and, if desired, the course continues.
Hirudotherapy
This method does not quite fit into the definition of "folk remedies", because it is possible only in the clinic, but it is still considered unconventional. As the observations of experts show, hirudotherapy is effective in treating osteoarthritis of the knee joint. The use of medicinal leeches is possible only as part of a complex therapy.
The effect is due to enzymes that are injected into the patient's blood during the bite. Thanks to these substances, blood circulation improves and pain is alleviated.
When to give up alternative treatments
Treatment of the knee with folk remedies is not always possible and useful. It should be understood that in case of 2 and 3 degree joint damage, the doctor's recommendations should be followed first and foremost. In this situation, traditional medicine will not help, but will worsen the problem. It is necessary to stop unconventional treatment immediately if new symptoms appear, increased pain or an allergic reaction occurs. You also need to visit a doctor, where you can consult about the appropriateness of the use of folk remedies.
Today, doctors are looking for a cure that would help treat joint disease without denying natural remedies. As with any medication, care should be taken not to neglect conventional medicine.