Throughout life, a person is exposed to a wide variety of environmental factors.He does not always eat correctly and rationally, often has bad habits, moves little or, on the contrary, experiences excessive physical effort.Of course, for the body the influence of these negative conditions does not pass without consequences.All internal organs and systems suffer from it, including bone and joint structures, the damage to which 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 combinations thereof.If the disease affects the lower limbs, especially the knee joints, the person's motor activity is reduced to the maximum, performance is impaired, and social adaptation deteriorates.These negative consequences are especially pronounced in case of knee arthrosis or gonarthrosis, which can provoke a disease of the knee joints of any origin.
Characteristics of the disease
The knee joints are constantly subjected to increased physical stress, 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 treatment is started 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 often diagnosed at an advanced age, which is associated with the accumulation of negative multifactorial effects on the body.However, gonarthrosis can also develop in young people, especially after serious injuries.
The disease goes through three phases, characterized by certain symptoms and with different degrees of ability to "respond" to treatment methods.This is how gonarthrosis develops (each stage is expressed by a 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 cartilaginous layer.
- Stage 2 pathology is characterized by the progressive destruction of cartilaginous tissue, which is accompanied by a 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 moving, 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 cartilaginous layer or the presence of its individual small fragments.As a result, severe deformities of the knees are formed, mobility is lost (leading to disability of the patient), maximum physical and psychological discomfort occurs, 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 extremities, osteoarthritis deformans or DOA.
Each stage and degree of the disease is expressed by increasing destructive processes in the joints, which determines both the therapeutic approach and the choice of the most effective methods.
Furthermore, 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 therapeutic result possible, it is important to distinguish the following types of gonarthrosis:
- primary, which develops mainly at an older 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 hemorrhage 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, with arthritic changes in the joints very serious destructive processes occur.They can start with inflammation, an autoimmune reaction of the body, metabolic disorders or traumatic injury.Unfortunately, gonarthrosis is a chronic and constantly progressing pathology, which, however, does not mean that no method can have an effect on the painful process that stops or slows 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 arthrosis, regardless of its origin, should be aimed primarily at them.Therefore, in acute or indolent forms of the inflammatory process, anti-inflammatory drugs, steroid or non-hormonal in nature, are needed.Steroids also have a suppressive effect on the immune system, which is indispensable, along with other groups of immunosuppressants, in cases of osteoarthritis of autoimmune origin.The initial stages of destruction of the hyaline cartilage can however be slowed down by introducing chondroprotective agents into the patient's body, capable of partially restoring its integrity and functionality.
It is these methods of treatment of arthrosis of the knee joint, that is, certain groups of drugs and drug therapy in general, which are in the first place, excluding those cases of severe gonarthrosis, when only surgical intervention such as endoprosthesis takes on primary importance.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 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 effect is expressed locally on some areas of the skin or on its entire area, through the digestive tract or through the respiratory tract.Of course, the most acceptable of these can be considered the local use of folk remedies for arthrosis, when lotions or compresses prepared from plant materials are applied to the knee area.
Meanwhile, if permitted by the attending physician, other methods of influencing the patient's body can also be used.Why not warm up in a village bathhouse and breathe in the life-giving “spirit” of juniper to restore your defenses and stimulate your immune system?Or do not use herbal and berry decoctions or fruit drinks containing a huge amount of vitamins and biologically active substances, which have a very beneficial effect on all internal organs, not only the joint system?
In general, the treatment of arthrosis of the knee joint with folk remedies, although it does not directly influence the cause and origin of the pathology, pursues some objectives no less significant than those of drug therapy:
- maintain immunity in satisfactory conditions;
- provide a local anti-inflammatory effect on joint structures;
- slight stimulation of regeneration processes;
- further positive effect on other organs and internal systems.
Therefore, 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 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 still improve a person's psycho-emotional mood, raise morale 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 still better not to use these well-known treatments of traditional medicine alone, without taking into account the required dosages, 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 dealing 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.
He 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 medicine into the treatment regimen, carry out 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, you can safely use it);
- do not produce drugs for future use, as far as possible - for 1-2 days (with the exception of products containing ethyl alcohol), observing the storage rules;
- strictly comply with the dosage, frequency of administration and duration of the course;
- If any adverse reactions occur, you should immediately stop using the method and consult a doctor.
Every doctor knows that the earlier therapy is started, the greater the result will be.This fully applies to gonarthrosis: the use of a conservative approach, including the folk one, makes sense in 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 arthrosis of the knee joints with folk remedies will perform only 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, many of the most common methods and recipes are used.Raw materials for them are taken only of natural origin, which can be prepared independently or purchased in a pharmacy.
The following methods are mainly used in the treatment of arthrosis of the knee joint:
- compresses;
- ointments and rubs;
- decoctions and infusions;
- medicinal baths.
When applying compresses, the combined effect of the plant materials and the high 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 is sleeping will be enough to provide the greatest possible therapeutic effect.As a rule, compresses are taken 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.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 film and tied with a warm cloth.All warming compresses have an analgesic, anti-inflammatory effect and reduce swelling.
Homemade ointments and rubs are great for providing a local anesthetic effect.For example, an equal number 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 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, alcoholic tinctures can be stored for a long time, and their characteristics only improve.They can be prepared with 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.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, after asking for help, receives from the doctor a treatment regimen for arthrosis of the knee joint, which also includes traditional methods.As a rule, the impressions resulting from their use are positive, here are some:
- Woman, 58 years old: "I have been suffering from deforming gonarthrosis for almost 10 years, I constantly follow the treatment. My doctor always says that the joints love heat, so I apply hot compresses on 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, having bilateral arthrosis in my knees, I apply her experience. I rub the oil well on 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 tsp. pine needles or juniper berries and mix with 100 g of butter. Rub into sore joints before going to bed. Gradually the pain and swelling disappear."
Gonarthrosis therapy always takes a long time and requires perseverance and patience.It is important to follow all your doctor's prescriptions and regularly use courses of alternative treatments.Only in this case will a positive result be noticed.