Over the course of life, people are exposed to a wide variety of environmental influences.He does not always eat correctly and rationally, often has bad habits, moves little or, on the contrary, experiences excessive physical exertion.Of course, the influence of these negative conditions on the body is not without consequences.All internal organs and systems are affected, including bone and joint structures, the damage to which can sometimes be very serious.
Many people suffer from joint diseases and the causes of pathologies are factors such as injuries, infections, age-related changes, autoimmune processes or combinations thereof.If the disease affects the lower extremities, especially the knee joints, motor activity is maximally reduced, performance is impaired and social adaptation deteriorates.These negative consequences are particularly pronounced in knee osteoarthritis or gonarthrosis, which can lead to knee joint disease of any origin.
Characteristics of the disease
Knee joints are subject to constant increased physical stress and represent various types of human motor activity. Therefore, their healthy condition and functionality are extremely important.But inflammatory processes in the joint tissue (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 arthrosis of the knee joints or gonarthrosis.
This pathology is progressive 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 occur in younger people, especially after serious injuries.
The disease goes through three stages, which are characterized by certain symptoms and “respond” to treatment methods to varying degrees.This is how gonarthrosis develops (each stage manifests itself in a corresponding extent 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.
- Pathology in stage 2 is characterized by the progressive destruction of cartilage tissue, which is accompanied by a reaction growth of bone structures with the appearance of so-called osteophytes.At this stage, knee pain and difficulty moving occur, so that in most cases the diagnosis of gonarthrosis is only made in the second degree of joint destruction.
- Grade 3 is the almost complete absence of the cartilage layer or the presence of individual small fragments.This leads to severe deformation of the knees, loss of mobility (which leads to disability for the patient), maximum physical and psychological discomfort and severe pain.Due to the active participation of bone tissue in the pathological process, osteoarthritis is often called arthrosis, and due to the formation of an X- or O-shaped curvature of the lower extremities, it is called deforming arthrosis or DOA.
Each stage and degree of the disease is manifested by increasing destructive processes in the joints, which determine both the therapeutic approach and the choice of the most effective methods.
In addition, the therapy tactics are also significantly influenced by the form of the disease that is identified during diagnostics.In order to achieve the most positive treatment result possible, it is therefore important to distinguish between the following forms of gonarthrosis:
- primary, develops mainly in old age against the background of degenerative changes and is bilateral;
- secondary, formed against the background of joint diseases 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 usually unilateral and is diagnosed at any age.
The role of traditional medicine in the treatment of osteoarthritis
As mentioned above, very serious destructive processes occur with arthrotic changes in the joints.They can begin with inflammation, an autoimmune reaction of the body, metabolic disorders or traumatic injury.Unfortunately, gonarthrosis is a chronic and constantly progressive pathology, but this does not mean that no methods can influence the painful process, stopping or slowing down its development.
As the disease progresses and passes from stage to stage, the effects of provoking and predisposing factors remain.Therefore, treatment of knee osteoarthritis, regardless of its cause, should be aimed primarily at them.Therefore, in acute or indolent forms of the inflammatory process, anti-inflammatory drugs of steroidal or non-hormonal nature are required.Steroids also have a suppressive effect on the immune system, which, along with other groups of immunosuppressants, is indispensable in autoimmune genesis of osteoarthritis.The initial stages of destruction of hyaline cartilage can still be slowed down by the introduction of chondroprotective agents into the patient's body, which makes it possible to partially restore its integrity and functionality.
These methods of treatment of arthrosis of the knee joint, that is, certain groups of drugs and drug therapy in general, are in the first place, with the exception of cases of severe gonarthrosis, in which only surgical interventions such as endoprosthetics play a leading role.With a conservative approach, physiotherapy, physiotherapy and massage are also effective.What is the role of treating arthrosis of the knee joint with folk remedies and how effective is it?
Traditional treatment means 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.The effect occurs locally on certain areas of skin or its entire surface, via the digestive tract or via the respiratory tract.Of course, the most acceptable is the local use of folk remedies for arthrosis, when lotions or compresses made from plant materials are applied to the knee area.
Other methods of influencing the patient's body can now also be used if the treating doctor allows this.Why not warm up in a village bathhouse and breathe in the life-giving juniper “spirit” to restore your defenses and stimulate your immune system?Or don't you use herbal and berry decoctions or fruit drinks with a large amount of vitamins and biologically active substances, which have a very beneficial effect on all internal organs, not only the articular system?
In general, the treatment of arthrosis of the knee joint with folk remedies, although it does not have a direct impact on 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 state;
- Providing a local anti-inflammatory effect on joint structures;
- slight stimulation of regeneration processes;
- additional positive effect on other internal organs and systems.
Therefore, treatment of deforming arthrosis of the knee joint with folk remedies, as well as other types of this pathology, is always part of a comprehensive and strictly individual treatment plan.It takes on the role of an auxiliary and additional method that 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, raise his mood and give hope for recovery.And as is well known, the psychological perception of the illness and its causes underlies the psychosomatic therapy approach, which should not be ignored.
However, it is still better not to use these well-known traditional medicine treatments on your own without taking into account the required dosage, the frequency of dosage and the duration of the course.It is important that the treatment of gonarthrosis of the knee joint with folk remedies, their 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 arthrosis of the knee joint with folk remedies, at what stage it is necessary 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 including a drug in the treatment regimen, conduct 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 no changes occur, you can safely use it);
- As much as possible, make medicines not for subsequent use - for 1-2 days (except for products containing ethyl alcohol), observing the storage rules.
- Strictly adhere to the dosage, frequency of administration and course duration.
- If side effects occur, you must immediately stop using the method and consult a doctor.
Every doctor knows: the earlier therapy is started, the more successful the result will be.This fully applies to gonarthrosis: in stages 1-2 of pathology, a conservative approach, including a folk one, makes sense.In the third stage, when the hyaline cartilage in the joint is no longer present and persistent osteofibrous deformations have formed, complete cure of the disease is no longer possible and the treatment of arthrosis of the knee joints with folk remedies only performs a supporting psychological function.
Traditional medicine methods
To relieve pain, reduce swelling in the knee area and thus help restore the functionality of the joints, some of the most common methods and recipes are used.The raw materials used for this are exclusively of natural origin and can be prepared yourself or purchased at the pharmacy.
The following methods are mainly used to treat osteoarthritis of the knee joint:
- compresses;
- ointments and liniments;
- decoctions and infusions;
- Spas.
When using compresses, the combined effect of plant substances and the increased temperature created by the insulating layer is important.All types of compresses are best used at night, when the knee joint is at rest, and 7-8 hours of sleep is enough to achieve the greatest therapeutic effect.As a rule, compresses are carried out once a day for 7-10 days, after a while 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.However, the most common are vodka and cabbage leaves.A piece of cloth soaked in vodka or a cabbage leaf rubbed with your hand is placed on the knee, then the leg is covered with a film and tied with a warm cloth.All warming compresses have a pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory and decongestant effect.
Homemade ointments and rubs are good for achieving a local anesthetic effect.For example, equal numbers of chamomile flowers, burdock roots and marigold inflorescences are chopped up and mixed with petroleum jelly to form a paste-like mass.This ointment is used 4-5 times a day if the patient suffers from severe pain.
To support the body in the fight against arthrosis, you can use decoctions of medicinal herbs: cranberry, calendula, St. John's wort, chamomile.The drink is prepared for a day, as its properties are lost during storage.On the contrary, alcohol tinctures can be stored for a long time and their properties only improve.They can be prepared from elecampane 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.Afterwards, patients notice an improvement in their general condition and their mobility in their knees.Therapeutic baths are used once a day, preferably at night.
Patient reviews
Each patient, upon request for help from the doctor, receives a treatment regimen for arthrosis of the knee joint, which also includes traditional methods.The impressions from the application are generally positive, here are some of them:
- Woman, 58 years old: "I have been suffering from deforming gonarthrosis for almost 10 years, I am constantly undergoing treatments. My doctor always says that joints love heat, so I put warm compresses on my knees according to 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 that I have bilateral osteoarthritis in my knees, I use her experience. I rub the oil well into my knees, wrap it in a warm scarf and go to bed."
- Woman: 50 years old: "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 teaspoon of pine needles or juniper berries and mix with 100 g of butter. Rub into painful joints before going to bed. Gradually the pain and swelling disappear."
The treatment of gonarthrosis always takes a long time and requires perseverance and patience.It is important to follow all doctor's instructions and regularly use alternative treatment methods.Only in this case will a positive result be noticeable.