A person is affected by various environmental factors throughout his life.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 effect of these negative situations on the body is not without consequences.All internal organs and systems suffer, including bone and joint structures, their damage 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 their combinations.If the disease affects the lower limbs, especially the knee joints, a person's motor activity is reduced to a maximum, performance is impaired, and social adaptation worsens.These negative results are especially evident in cases of gonarthrosis, which can result in arthrosis of the knees or disease of the knee joints of any origin.
Features of the disease
Knee joints constantly experience increasing physical stress, provide various motor activities of a person, therefore their healthy condition and functionality are extremely important.But inflammatory processes in joint tissues (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 or gonarthrosis of the knee joints.
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 develop in young people, especially after serious injuries.
The disease goes through three stages, is characterized by certain symptoms and has the ability to "respond" to different treatment methods.Gonarthrosis develops like this (each stage is expressed by the corresponding degree of pathological changes and destruction of knee joints):
- Degenerative-dystrophic processes begin in the cartilage layer with the first degree of arthrosis of the knee joint.
- Stage 2 pathology is characterized by the progressive destruction of cartilage tissue, accompanied by the response growth of bone structures with the appearance of so-called osteophytes.It is at this stage that a person begins to experience knee pain and difficulty in movement, so the diagnosis of gonarthrosis in most cases occurs 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 of it.As a result, severe deformations occur in the knees, loss of mobility (which leads to disability of the patient), 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 an X- or O-shaped curvature of the lower limbs - deforming osteoarthritis or DOA.
Each stage and degree of the disease is expressed by increasingly destructive processes in the joints, which determines both the therapeutic approach and the selection of the most effective methods.
In addition, therapeutic tactics are significantly influenced by the form of the disease determined during the diagnostic process.Therefore, in order to obtain the most positive possible treatment result, it is important to distinguish the following types of gonarthrosis:
- primary, mainly developing against the background of degenerative changes in old age and bilateral;
- secondary, formed against the background of articular 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 most often unilateral and is diagnosed at any age.
The role of traditional medicine in the treatment of arthrosis
As mentioned above, very serious destructive processes occur with arthrosis changes in the joints.They can be triggered by inflammation, the body's autoimmune response, metabolic disorders, or traumatic injuries.Unfortunately, gonarthrosis is a chronic and continuously developing pathology, but this does not mean that no method can affect the painful process that stops or slows down its development.
As the disease progresses and passes from stage to stage, the influence of precipitating and provoking factors continues.Therefore, the treatment of knee arthrosis, regardless of its origin, should be focused on them first.Thus, in acute or indifferent forms of the inflammatory process, steroid or non-hormonal anti-inflammatory drugs are needed.Steroids also have a suppressive effect on the immune system, which is indispensable together with other groups of immunosuppressants in cases of autoimmune origin of arthrosis.The initial stages of destruction of hyaline cartilage can still be slowed down by introducing chondroprotective substances into the patient's body, which can partially restore its integrity and functionality.
Except for severe cases of gonarthrosis, in which only surgical intervention such as endoprosthetics is of leading importance, these methods of treatment of arthrosis of the knee joint, that is, certain drug groups and drug treatment in general, are the first priority.Also, with a conservative approach, physiotherapy, physical therapy 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 involves the effect of natural, that is, means of natural origin, as well as low or high air temperatures and various parameters of its humidity on the human body.In this case, the effect is carried out locally in certain areas of the skin or in its entire area, through the digestive system or respiratory tract.Of course, the most acceptable of these can be considered the local use of folk remedies for arthrosis, when lotions or compresses made of plant materials are applied to the knee area.
At the same time, other methods that affect the patient's body can be used if the attending physician allows.Why not warm up in the village bathhouse and breathe in the life-giving "spirit" of juniper there to restore your defenses and stimulate your immune system?Or don't you use herbal and berry decoctions or fruit drinks, which contain a large amount of vitamins and biologically active substances, which have a very beneficial effect not only on the joint system, but on all internal organs?
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 important than drug therapy:
- maintain immunity in a satisfactory condition;
- provide local anti-inflammatory effect on joint structures;
- light 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 comprehensively and strictly included in the individual treatment regimen.It plays the role of an auxiliary and additional method, which is traditionally of great psychological importance for patients.The use of all kinds of folk remedies, even in very serious stages of gonarthrosis, when there is practically no therapeutic help, can still improve the psycho-emotional mood of a person, raise the mood 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 popular traditional medicine treatments on your own without considering the required doses, frequency of doses and duration of the course.Treatment of gonarthrosis of the knee joint with folk remedies, its intensity and the choice of a certain method are important to be approved or recommended by a specialist.Only a doctor who deals with joint diseases knows exactly how to treat arthrosis of the knee joint with folk remedies, at what stage it should be done and at what stage it is practically ineffective.
He is a specialist in the field of treatment with joint diseases or folk remedies who can give the following recommendations to the patient:
- Be sure to consult a doctor before using the method for the first time;
- before introducing a drug into the treatment regimen, conduct a tolerance test (for external use) - apply the ointment or solution to the inner skin of the forearm, leave it for 1-2 hours and see the result (if there are no changes, you can use it safely);
- observing the storage rules, as much as possible - within 1-2 days (except for products containing ethyl alcohol), do not prepare medicine for future use;
- strictly adhere to the dosage, frequency of administration and duration of the course;
- If negative reactions 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 applies exactly to gonarthrosis: a conservative approach, including using folk methods, makes sense in stages 1-2 of the pathology.In the third stage, when hyaline cartilage is already present in the joint and persistent osteo-fibrous deformations occur, it will no longer be possible to completely treat the disease, and the treatment of arthrosis of the knee joints with folk remedies will only perform a supporting psychological function.
Traditional medicine methods
Several of the most common methods and recipes are used to relieve pain, reduce swelling in the knee area, and thereby help restore the functionality of the joints.Raw materials for them are obtained only of natural origin, which can be prepared independently or purchased from a pharmacy.
The following methods are mainly used in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee joint:
- compresses;
- ointments and rubs;
- decoctions and infusions;
- therapeutic baths.
When applying compresses, the combined effect of plant materials and high temperature 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 of sleep will be enough to ensure 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.
Various components are used as raw materials for compresses: gelatin, dead bees, iodine, horseradish, kefir, potatoes, salted propolis, oatmeal.But the most common are vodka and cabbage leaves.A 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 warming 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 amounts of chamomile flowers, burdock root, and calendula flowers are crushed and mixed with petroleum jelly to form a paste-like mass.This ointment is used 4-5 times a day when the patient suffers from severe pain.
To support the body in the fight against arthrosis, you can use decoctions of medicinal plants: lingonberry, calendula, St. John's wort, chamomile.The drink is prepared for a day, because 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 made from elecampane root, dandelion and golden mustache stems.
Hot 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 their general condition and mobility of their knees.Therapeutic baths are used once a day, preferably at night.
Patient reviews
Each patient, applying for help, receives from the doctor a treatment regimen for arthrosis of the knee joint, which also includes traditional methods.As a rule, the impression about their use is positive, some of them are:
- Woman, 58 years old: "I have been suffering from deforming gonarthrosis for almost 10 years, and I have been receiving continuous treatment. My doctor always says that joints love heat, so I put warm compresses on my knees according to a certain scheme. They really relieve the pain and help me move."
- Man, 61 years old: "My mother also used fir oil for joint pain. Now I apply her experience because I have bilateral arthrosis in my knee. I rub the oil well on my knees, wrap it in a warm scarf and sleep."
- Woman: 50 years old: "I would like to recommend an ointment recipe for arthrosis that helped me a lot. You need to grind 5-6 bay leaves, grind 1 teaspoon of pine needles or juniper berries and mix them with 100 g of butter. Apply to painful joints before going to bed. Pain and swelling gradually disappear."
Therapy for gonarthrosis always takes a long time and requires perseverance and patience.It is important to follow all the doctor's instructions and regularly use alternative treatment courses.Only in this case, a positive result will be noticeable.