With the current advances in medicine, joint diseases cannot be completely cured. Science doesn’t stop there, but no cure has yet been found that could restore the tissues damaged by the pathology. Patients should try all kinds of medications and methods to recover. Traditional medicine often does not offer an effective method. And then the patient begins to wonder how to treat knee arthrosis with folk remedies.
Advantages and disadvantages of traditional medicine
Conventional medicine for knee arthrosis is used quite often. The disease is difficult to treat and the mobility of the limbs is gradually limited. Even traditional therapies focus only on relieving pain and preventing complications. Patients and physicians are ambivalent about traditional medicine, but they resort to it even if traditional medicine does not produce the desired results.
There are both disadvantages and advantages to treating knee arthrosis with folk remedies. The pros include:
- availability and low cost of most materials;
- many herbs help strengthen the immune system;
- few side effects;
- easy use.
The raw materials used to treat the knee with folk remedies are often included in the formulations of pharmaceutical companies. Therefore, in most cases, alternative medicine is safe if the dosage and rules of use are followed. It is also worth noting that the recipes used to treat knee arthrosis are word of mouth and have stood the test of time. However, care must be taken. Before taking any medicine, tell your doctor and listen to his or her recommendations.
Like all other methods, folk methods have disadvantages:
- the risk of allergic reactions;
- many methods are denied by traditional medicine, their effectiveness has not been confirmed by research;
- some of the recipes available on the Internet 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, such as herbs or fruits of different ripeness, etc.
Doctors are mostly sympathetic to using the recipes of traditional medicine to treat this disease. Moreover, sometimes they themselves advise the patient on certain methods. But for treatment to be effective, it must be comprehensive. Therefore, the use of folk remedies should not reject traditional medicine either.
Effective treatment methods
Basically, popular folk recipes for knee arthrosis suggest how to make anti-inflammatory drugs. The effect is achieved by accelerating local metabolic processes. This makes it possible to relieve pain, thereby improving knee mobility and suspending pathological processes.
Traditional medicine in this case is not limited to decoctions and ointments. This, like the traditional one, involves a number of techniques and methods of action. Most often all kinds of ointments, rubbing, compaction and application are used, i. e. topical agents. Their effect is most pronounced. Less commonly, infusions and decoctions are used for oral administration.
It is important to note that alternative medicine is most effective in the early stages of pathology. Thus, the treatment of grade 2 arthrosis of the knee joint with folk remedies no longer shows as good results as at the beginning of the disease.
Local compressions
It’s hard to imagine treating knee pains with folk remedies without compresses. Patients often prefer this form of treatment. Compresses improve blood microcirculation, thereby relieving inflammation and swelling. This loosens the joint, making it easier for the limb to move. The great advantage of compresses is that they can usually be made from products that are always at hand.
Consider popular recipes:
- Oat compress. Pour boiling water over 5 tablespoons of Hercules. Don't have too much water. Cook the flakes on low heat for 8-10 minutes. The porridge should be viscous, not dense or liquid. Cool the mass and wrap it in a cheese cloth or natural cloth. Apply to sore knee for several hours. It can be attached to the foot with plastic foil and left overnight.
- Horseradish compress. Grate the root, pour in water and put on low heat. Do not bring to a boil, just let it steam as the water heats up. Then shake off the water but do not unscrew it. Wrap the horseradish in cotton and put it on your knees for 2 hours. This recipe will help relieve pain.
- Cabbage wrap. I need vegetable juice. Soak a wool cloth in the liquid. Apply to joints before going to bed. You can use cabbage leaves smeared with honey. Then secure with foil. It is convenient to leave such a compress for the night.
As you can see, all parts are completely safe. They can only harm allergy sufferers. Compressions should be applied until the main symptom - pain - is relieved. You can perform the procedure daily, but it is recommended to take breaks after 21-30 days. It is most comfortable to apply a compress before going to bed and leave it on overnight.
Tinctures and decoctions
Tinctures are made with alcohol or water. Plants or their components are used as raw material. Some infusions and decoctions can be used internally, while others are used to make compresses or ointments. Infusions and decoctions are usually made from herbs that have an anti-inflammatory effect. You can use funds from one or more components. 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;
- grass and chamomile flowers;
- chestnut fruit;
- saber;
- birch buds;
- marigold;
- hop cones;
- wormwood herb.
Topical application of tinctures and decoctions usually has no side effects. Be careful when taking it internally. In addition to allergic reactions, they can also cause gastrointestinal upset.
It is worth noting that it is better to use only freshly made product.
Herbal baths
Many patients who are constantly looking for answers to the question of how to relieve pain in knee arthrosis are discovering healing baths. The localization of the pathology complicates the procedure somewhat. It will be more comfortable to do full herbal baths. With their help, the patient not only acts on his knees, but also relaxes, which is also important for treatment.
Baths with pine needles are useful (can also be used with branches). The raw materials are dipped in hot water, allowed to cook until the water has cooled to an acceptable temperature, and then removed. This bath can be taken for 20 minutes. Jerusalem artichokes are also used to make baths. A few tubers are washed and chopped and then dipped in hot water. Add a tablespoon of turpentine and bathe when the water has cooled slightly.
For the effect to be noticeable, the procedure should be performed for 10-12 days.
Mud therapy
Peloid therapy is often prescribed by doctors to patients with arthrosis. The patient is sent to a sanatorium where sludge with appropriate properties is used. Saki and Essentuki are popular in Hungary. Such therapy helps to speed up healing, normalize blood circulation and local metabolism.
In addition to the effect on the joint, the medicinal mud removes toxins and toxins from the body, which also has a positive effect on the treatment. Usually, after rehabilitation in a sanatorium or resort, the patient notices improvement and is in a good mood, which facilitates further therapy.
Applications with herbs
Applications with various additives are performed on patients during physiotherapy in a hospital setting. But you can also perform such procedures at home with the help of herbs and paraffin wax. They are also used from therapeutic mud or clay, which is enriched with herbal decoctions.
The difference between this method and traditional compresses is that the body lotion must have a chemical, thermal and mechanical effect on the affected area. This is achieved by applying a vegetable peel to the knee, which is irritating. You can preheat to increase the heat. A mechanical effect can be achieved by applying adhesive tape to the knee with watermelon, sunflower, melon or buckwheat seeds.
Rubbing with camphor and grease
Treatment of joints with camphor oil is often used in folk medicine. The material is also used in pure form and mixed with other components. This is thought to help partially restore joint lubrication, but it is a very controversial statement that has not yet been confirmed by mainstream medicine. One thing is for sure - camphor folk remedies are effective in relieving pain. 10% oil is needed to treat arthrosis of the knee joint, but alcohol is also adequate.
Patients experience a positive effect after rubbing with fats. Badgers are most commonly used, less often pork or beef. The latter are usually used as a basis for herbal ointments. Bad fat is also used in pure form.
Fats and camphor dilate the blood vessels in the form of rubbing, thus ensuring blood supply to the knee and improving trophism.
Effective wrap with mummy and honey
There is another effective recipe that includes the answer to the question of how to heal the knee joint. Folk remedies often involve the use of the mummy, a resinous material of natural origin. When mixed with beekeeping products, it has a strong analgesic effect. To prepare the drug, 100 g of liquid honey and 0. 5 g of mummy must be combined.
The wraps are made in the evening and left overnight, and the remains are washed away in the morning. The procedure is repeated for 10 days, then a break of 2-3 days and, if necessary, the course is resumed.
Hirudotherapy
This method does not quite fit the definition of "folk remedies" because it is only possible in a clinic, but is still not considered commonplace. Experts have observed that hirudotherapy is effective in treating knee arthrosis. The use of medicinal leeches is only possible as part of a complex therapy.
The effect is due to the enzymes that are injected into the patient's blood during the bite. These substances improve blood circulation and relieve pain.
When to give up alternative treatment
Treating the knee with folk remedies is not always possible and useful. It should be understood that in the case of 2 and 3 degree joint damage, the recommendations of doctors should be consulted first and foremost. In this situation, traditional medicine does not help but aggravates the problem. Non-conventional treatment should be stopped immediately if new symptoms occur, pain is exacerbated or an allergic reaction occurs. In addition, you should consult a doctor where you can consult about the appropriateness of using folk remedies.
Today, doctors are looking for a cure that would help cure joint diseases without denying natural remedies. As with any remedy, care must be taken not to ignore mainstream medicine.