Throughout life, a person is exposed to a wide variety of environmental factors.He does not always eat correctly and rationally, he often has bad habits, moves little or, on the contrary, experiences excessive physical exertion.Of course, for the body the influence of these negative conditions is not without consequences.All internal organs and systems suffer, including bone and joint structures, whose damage can sometimes be very serious.
Many people suffer from joint diseases and the causes of the pathologies are factors such as injuries, infections, age-related changes, autoimmune processes or a combination of them.If the disease affects the lower extremities, in particular the knee joints, the person's motor activity is maximally reduced, performance is impaired, and social adaptation deteriorates.These negative consequences are especially pronounced in cases of knee osteoarthritis or gonarthrosis, which can lead to diseases of the knee joints of any origin.
Characteristics of the disease.
The knee joints constantly experience increased physical stress, which provides various types of human motor activity, therefore their healthy state and functionality are extremely important.But inflammatory processes in the tissues of the joints (arthritis), metabolic and dystrophic disorders or traumatic injuries, especially if treatment is started late, can lead to the development of a very dangerous disease called osteoarthritis of the knee joints or gonarthrosis.
This pathology has a progressive course and is diagnosed more frequently in old age, which is associated with the accumulation of negative multifactorial effects in the body.However, gonarthrosis can also develop in younger people, especially after serious injuries.
The disease goes through three stages, which are characterized by certain symptoms and have varying degrees of ability to "respond" to treatment methods.This is how gonarthrosis develops (each stage is expressed by the corresponding degree of pathological changes and destruction of the knee joints):
- With the first degree of osteoarthritis of the knee joint, degenerative-dystrophic processes begin in the cartilaginous layer.
- Stage 2 pathology is characterized by the progressive destruction of cartilage tissue, which is accompanied by a responsive growth of bone structures with the appearance of so-called osteophytes.It is at this stage that a person begins to experience pain in the knee and difficulty moving, so the diagnosis of gonarthrosis in most cases occurs at the second degree of destruction of the joint.
- Grade 3 is the almost complete absence of the cartilage layer or the presence of its small individual fragments.As a result, serious deformities are formed in the knees, mobility is lost (which leads to the patient's disability), maximum physical and psychological discomfort occurs, as well as severe pain.Due to the active participation of bone tissue in the pathological process, osteoarthritis is often called osteoarthritis, and due to the formation of an X- or O-shaped curvature of the lower extremities - deforming osteoarthritis or DOA.
Each stage and degree of the disease is expressed in increasing destructive processes in the joints, which determines both the therapeutic approach and the choice of the most effective methods.
In addition, therapeutic tactics are also significantly influenced by the form of the disease, which is identified during the diagnostic process.Therefore, to achieve the most positive possible treatment result, it is important to distinguish the following types of gonarthrosis:
- primary, which develops mainly in old age against the background of degenerative changes and is bilateral;
- secondary, formed against the background of joint pathologies or after injuries (for example, as a result of extensive bleeding inside the joint capsule, hemarthrosis of the knee joint may develop, the treatment of which has its own characteristics).The secondary form is usually unilateral and is diagnosed at any age.
The role of traditional medicine in the treatment of osteoarthritis.
As mentioned above, with arthritic changes in the joints, very serious destructive processes occur.They may begin with inflammation, an autoimmune reaction of the body, metabolic disorders, or traumatic injuries.Unfortunately, gonarthrosis is a chronic and constantly progressing pathology, which, however, does not mean that no method can affect the painful process, stopping or slowing down its development.
As the disease progresses and moves from one stage to another, the impact of provoking and predisposing factors continues.Therefore, the treatment of knee osteoarthritis, regardless of its origin, should be directed primarily at them.Therefore, in acute or indolent forms of the inflammatory process, anti-inflammatory drugs, steroidal or non-hormonal in nature, are needed.Steroids also have a suppressive effect on the immune system, which is essential, along with other groups of immunosuppressants, in cases of osteoarthritis of autoimmune origin.The initial stages of destruction of hyaline cartilage can still be slowed down by introducing chondroprotective agents into the patient's body that can partially restore its integrity and functionality.
It is these methods of treating osteoarthritis of the knee joint, that is, certain groups of medications and drug therapy in general, that occupy the first place, excluding those cases of severe gonarthrosis, when only surgical intervention such as endoprosthesis acquires the main importance.Additionally, with a conservative approach, physical therapy, physiotherapy and massage are effective.What is the function of treating osteoarthritis of the knee joint with folk remedies and how effective is it?
Traditional treatment refers to the effect on the human body of means of natural, that is, natural origin, as well as at low or high air temperatures and various parameters of its humidity.In this case, the effect is carried out locally in certain areas of the skin or on its entire surface, through the digestive tract or through the respiratory tract.Of course, the most acceptable of them can be considered the local use of folk remedies for osteoarthritis, when lotions or compresses prepared from plant materials are applied to the knee area.
Meanwhile, other methods can also be used to influence the patient's body if the treating doctor allows it.Why not warm up in a village bathhouse and breathe in the life-giving “spirit” of juniper there to restore your defenses and stimulate your immune system?Or not to use decoctions of herbs and berries or fruit drinks containing a large amount of vitamins and biologically active substances, which have a very beneficial effect on all internal organs, not only on the joint system?
In general, the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee joint with folk remedies, although it does not directly affect the cause and origin of the pathology, pursues certain objectives that are no less important than those of drug therapy:
- maintain immunity in satisfactory condition;
- provide a local anti-inflammatory effect on joint structures;
- slight stimulation of regeneration processes;
- additional positive effect on other internal organs and systems.
Therefore, the treatment of deforming osteoarthritis of the knee joint with folk remedies, as well as other types of this pathology, is always included in a comprehensive and strictly individual treatment regimen.It plays the role of an auxiliary and additional method, which traditionally also has great psychological significance for patients.The use of all kinds of folk remedies, even in very severe stages of gonarthrosis, when there is practically no real therapeutic help, can improve a person's psycho-emotional mood, lift his spirits and inspire hope for recovery.And the psychological perception of the disease and its causes, as is known, underlies the psychosomatic approach to therapy, which cannot be ignored.
However, it is better not to use these well-known traditional medicine treatments on your own, without taking into account the required doses, frequency of doses and duration of the course.It is important that the treatment of gonarthrosis of the knee joint with folk remedies, its intensity and the choice of a specific method are approved or recommended by a specialist.Only a doctor who deals with joint diseases can know exactly how to treat osteoarthritis of the knee joint with folk remedies, at what stage it is necessary to do it, and at what stage it is practically ineffective.
It is a specialist in the field of joint diseases or in the field of treatment with folk remedies who can give the patient the following recommendations:
- Before using the method for the first time, be sure to consult a doctor;
- before introducing a drug into the treatment regimen, carry out a tolerance test (for external use): apply the ointment or solution to the skin of the inner part of the forearm, leave it for 1-2 hours and observe the result (if there are no changes, you can safely use it);
- as far as possible, do not make medicines for future use: for 1-2 days (with the exception of products containing ethyl alcohol), observing storage rules;
- strictly adhere to the dosage, frequency of administration and duration of the course;
- If adverse reactions occur, you should stop using the method immediately and consult a doctor.
Every doctor knows that the sooner therapy is started, the more successful the result will be.This fully applies to gonarthrosis: using a conservative approach, including a popular one, makes sense at stages 1-2 of the pathology.In the third stage, when the hyaline cartilage in the joint no longer exists and when persistent osteofibrous deformities have formed, it will no longer be possible to completely cure the disease, and the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee joints with folk remedies will only serve a supportive psychological function.
Traditional medicine methods.
To relieve pain, reduce swelling in the knee area and thus help restore the functionality of the joints, several of the most common methods and recipes are used.The raw materials for them are exclusively of natural origin, which you can prepare yourself or buy at a pharmacy.
The following methods are mainly used in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee joint:
- compresses;
- ointments and salves;
- decoctions and infusions;
- medicinal baths.
When applying compresses, the combined effect of plant materials and the elevated temperature created by the insulating layer is important.It is best to use all types of compresses at night, when the knee joint is at rest, and 7-8 hours while the person sleeps will be enough to provide the maximum possible therapeutic effect.As a rule, compresses are done once a day, for 7-10 days, after a while the course can be repeated.
A variety of components are used as raw materials for compresses: gelatin, dead bees, iodine, horseradish, kefir, potatoes, propolis with salt, oatmeal.But the most common are vodka and cabbage leaves.A piece of cloth soaked in vodka or a hand-rubbed cabbage leaf is applied to the knee, then the leg is covered with a film and tied with a warm cloth.All hot compresses have an analgesic, anti-inflammatory effect and reduce swelling.
Homemade ointments and smears are good for providing a local anesthetic effect.For example, an equal amount of chamomile flowers, burdock root and calendula inflorescences are crushed and mixed with petroleum jelly to form a pasty mass.This ointment is used 4-5 times a day when the patient is bothered by severe pain.
To support the body in the fight against osteoarthritis, decoctions of medicinal herbs can be used: lingonberry, calendula, St. John's wort, chamomile.The drink is prepared for a day, since its properties are lost during storage.On the contrary, alcohol tinctures can be stored for a long time and their characteristics only improve.They can be prepared from elecampane root, dandelion and golden mustache stems.
Warm baths with thread or chamomile, as well as with the addition of sea salt, perfectly relax the muscles, relieve pain and swelling.After them, patients notice an improvement in the general condition and mobility of the knees.Therapeutic baths are used once a day, preferably in the evening.
Patient Feedback
Each patient, after asking for help, receives from the doctor a treatment regimen for osteoarthritis of the knee joint, which also includes traditional methods.As a rule, impressions from its use are positive, here are some of them:
- Woman, 58 years old: "I have been suffering from deforming gonarthrosis for almost 10 years, I constantly undergo treatments. My doctor always says that the joints love heat, so I apply warm compresses to my knees in a certain pattern. They really relieve the pain and help me move."
- Man, 61 years old: "My mother also used fir oil for joint pain. Now, since I have bilateral osteoarthritis in my knees, I apply her experience. I rub my knees well with oil, wrap it in a warm scarf and go to bed."
- Woman: 50 years old: "I would like to recommend a recipe for ointment for osteoarthritis, which helps me a lot. You need to grind 5-6 bay leaves, grind 1 teaspoon of pine needles or juniper berries and mix with 100 g of butter. Rub into the sore joints before going to bed. Gradually the pain and swelling disappear."
Therapy for gonarthrosis always takes a long time and requires perseverance and patience.It is important to follow all doctor's instructions and regularly use alternative treatments.Only in this case will a positive result be noticed.