Throughout life, a person is exposed to a wide variety of environmental factors.He does not always eat properly and rationally, often has bad habits, moves little or, on the contrary, experiences excessive physical exertion.Of course, for the organism, the influence of these negative conditions does not pass without consequences.All internal organs and systems suffer, including bone-joint structures, whose damage can sometimes be very serious.
Many people suffer from joint diseases, and the causes of pathologies are factors such as injuries, infections, age changes, autoimmune processes or combinations thereof.If the disease affects the lower limbs, in particular the knee joints, then the motor activity of the person is reduced to the maximum, performance deteriorates and social adaptation worsens.These negative consequences are particularly pronounced in knee arthrosis or gonarthrosis, which can lead to knee joint disease of any origin.
Features of the disease
Knee joints constantly experience increased physical load, providing various types of human motor activity, so their health and functionality are extremely important.But inflammatory processes in the joint tissues (arthritis), metabolic and dystrophic disorders or traumatic injuries, especially if the treatment starts late, can lead to the development of a very dangerous disease called arthrosis of the knee joints or gonarthrosis.
This pathology has a progressive course and is most often diagnosed in old age, which is associated with the accumulation of negative multifactorial effects on the body.However, gonarthrosis can also develop in younger people, especially after serious trauma.
The disease goes through three stages, which are characterized by certain symptoms and have a different degree 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 arthrosis of the knee joint, degenerative-dystrophic processes begin in the cartilage layer.
- Stage 2 of the pathology is characterized by progressive destruction of cartilage tissue, which is accompanied by responsible 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 in movement, so the diagnosis of gonarthrosis in most cases is manifested in the second degree of destruction of the joints.
- Grade 3 is the almost complete absence of the cartilage layer or the presence of its individual small fragments.As a result, severe deformities of the knees are formed, loss of mobility (which leads to the patient's disability), there is maximum physical and psychological discomfort, as well as severe pain.Due to the active participation of bone tissue in the pathological process, arthrosis is often called osteoarthritis, and due to the formation of X or O-shaped curvature of the lower limbs - deforming osteoarthritis or DOA.
Each stage and degree of the disease is expressed in the strengthening of 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, in order to achieve the most positive possible treatment result, it is important to distinguish the following types of gonarthrosis:
- primary, developing mainly in old age against the background of degenerative changes and bilateral;
- secondary, formed against the background of joint pathologies or after injuries (for example, as a result of extensive hemorrhage in the joint capsule, hemarthrosis of the knee joint may develop, the treatment of which has its own characteristics).The secondary form is most often unilateral and is diagnosed at any age.
The role of traditional medicine in the treatment of arthrosis
As mentioned above, with arthrosis changes in the joints, very serious destructive processes occur.They can start with inflammation, an autoimmune reaction of the body, metabolic disorders or traumatic injuries.Unfortunately, gonarthrosis is a chronic and constantly progressing pathology, which does not mean, however, that no methods can affect the painful process, which stops or slows down its development.
As the disease progresses and passes from stage to stage, the impact of provoking and predisposing factors continues.Therefore, the treatment of arthrosis of the knee, regardless of its origin, should be primarily aimed at them.Thus, 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 indispensable, among other groups of immunosuppressants, in autoimmune origin of arthrosis.The initial stages of destruction of hyaline cartilage can still be delayed by introducing chondroprotective agents into the patient's body, which can partially restore its integrity and functionality.
It is these methods of treating arthrosis of the knee joint, i.e.certain groups of drugs and drug therapy in general, are in the first place, except for those cases of severe gonarthrosis, when only surgical intervention such as endoprosthetics is of leading importance.Also, with a conservative approach, physiotherapy, physiotherapy and massage are effective.What is the role of treatment of arthrosis 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 low or high air temperatures and various parameters of its humidity.In this case, the impact is carried out locally on certain areas of the skin or on its entire area, through the digestive tract or through the respiratory tract.Of course, the most acceptable of them can be considered local use of folk remedies for arthrosis, when lotions or compresses prepared from plant materials are applied to the knee area.
Meanwhile, other methods of impact on the patient's body can be used, if allowed by the attending physician.Why not warm up in a country bath and inhale the life-giving "spirit" of juniper to restore your defenses and boost your immune system?Or don't you use herbal and forest decoctions or fruit drinks containing a huge amount of vitamins and biologically active substances that have a very beneficial effect on all internal organs, not only on the joint system?
In general, the treatment of arthrosis of the knee joint with folk remedies, although it does not directly affect the cause and source of the pathology, pursues certain goals that are no less significant than those of drug therapy:
- maintaining immunity in a satisfactory condition;
- providing 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 arthrosis 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 also traditionally has great psychological significance for patients.The use of all kinds of folk remedies, even in very serious stages of gonarthrosis, when there is practically no real therapeutic help, can still improve a person's psycho-emotional mood, lift his spirit and inspire hope for recovery.And the psychological perception of the disease and its causes, as is known, is the basis of the psychosomatic approach to therapy, which cannot be ignored.
However, it is better not to use these well-known treatments of traditional medicine alone, without taking into account the necessary doses, the frequency of doses and the 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 be approved or recommended by a specialist.Only a doctor who deals with joint diseases can know exactly how to treat arthrosis of the knee joint with folk remedies, at what stage it is necessary to do this and at what stage it is practically ineffective.
This 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 medicinal product into the treatment regimen, do a tolerance test (for external use) - apply the ointment or solution to the skin of the inner forearm, leave for 1-2 hours and see the result (if there are no changes, then you can safely use it);
- do not make medicines for future use, as far as possible - for 1-2 days (except for products containing ethyl alcohol), observing the rules of storage;
- strict compliance with the dosage, frequency of administration and duration of the course;
- If side effects occur, you should immediately stop using the method and consult a doctor.
Every doctor knows that the earlier the therapy starts, the more successful the result will be.This fully applies to gonarthrosis: the use of a conservative approach, including folk, makes sense at 1-2 stages of the pathology.At the third stage, when the hyaline cartilage in the joint no longer exists and when persistent osteo-fibrous deformations are formed, it will no longer be possible to completely cure the disease, and the treatment of arthrosis of the knee joints with folk remedies will perform only a supporting psychological function.
Methods of traditional medicine
Several of the most common methods and recipes are used to relieve pain, reduce swelling in the knee area, and thus help restore the functionality of the joints.The raw materials for them are taken only of natural origin, which can be prepared independently or purchased at a pharmacy.
The following methods are mainly used in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee joint:
- compresses;
- ointments and rubs;
- decoctions and infusions;
- medicinal baths.
When applying compresses, the combined action of plant raw materials and increased temperature, which is created by the insulation layer, is important.All types of compresses are best used at night, when the knee joint is at rest, and 7-8 hours while a person sleeps will be enough to provide the maximum possible therapeutic effect.As a rule, compresses are made once a day for 7-10 days, after some time the course can be repeated.
Various 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 cabbage leaf rubbed by hand is applied to the knee, then the leg is covered with a film and tied with a warm towel.All heating compresses have an analgesic, anti-inflammatory effect and reduce swelling.
Homemade ointments and rubs are good for providing a local anesthetic effect.For example, equal numbers of chamomile flowers, burdock root and calendula inflorescences are crushed and mixed with petroleum jelly to form a paste.This ointment is used 4-5 times a day when the patient is worried about severe pain.
To help the body fight arthrosis, you can use decoctions of medicinal herbs: lingonberry, calendula, St. John's wort, chamomile.The drink is prepared within a day, as 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 comfrey root, dandelion and golden mustache stems.
Warm baths with string or chamomile, as well as with the addition of sea salt, perfectly relax the muscles, relieve pain and swelling.After them, patients note an improvement in the general condition and mobility of the knees.Therapeutic baths are used once a day, preferably at night.
Patient reviews
Each patient who sought help receives from the doctor a treatment plan for arthrosis of the knee joint, which also includes traditional methods.As a rule, the impressions of their use are positive, here are some of them:
- Woman, 58 years old: "I have been suffering from deforming gonarthrosis for almost 10 years, I have been receiving constant treatment. 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."
- Male, 61 years: "My mother also used fir oil for joint pain. Now that I have bilateral knee osteoarthritis, I apply her experience. I rub the oil well into my knees, wrap it with a warm scarf and go to bed."
- Woman: 50 years: "I would like to recommend a recipe for an ointment for arthrosis, which helps me a lot. You need to grind 5-6 bay leaves, grind 1 tsp of pine tips or juniper berries and mix with 100 g of oil. Rub into the affected joints before going to bed. Gradually the pain and swelling disappear."
Treatment of gonarthrosis always takes a long time and requires persistence and patience.It is important to follow all the doctor's prescriptions and regularly use courses of alternative treatment.Only in this case will a positive result be noticeable.