How to treat osteoarthritis of the knee with folk remedies

Thousands of people, especially after the age of fifty, have many different types of musculoskeletal system. This significantly affects quality of life, imposes many restrictions and causes considerable pain.

Arthritis of the knee, also known as gonarthrosis disease, is considered to be one of the top causes on Russia's list of the most common causes of disability in Russian adults. However, you should not think that when you are young, you are not threatened by this disease: you can leave the doctor's office with the "knee joint gonarthrosis" record on the card long before retiring.

Concepts and causes of knee effusion

Arthritis is nothing more than destructive changes in cartilage tissue, ie destruction, depletion, accompanied by a decrease in the volume of synovial fluid.

This can be for many reasons:

  1. Delayed trauma and continuous stress on joints, tired physical labor;
  2. Genetic factors;
  3. Metabolic disorders;
  4. Overweight;
  5. Poor nutrition, lack of essential vitamins and minerals.

Degenerative stages of the knee

Doctors distinguish three stages of dry joint disease of the knee:

  • Early-stage signs are short pain that appears after exertion and at rest they will pass away quickly enough. The pain is dull, aching. On the surface, the joint appears to be healthy, the only thing that can be noticed at this stage is a little swelling;
  • In the second stage, pain syndrome is characterized by longer intensity and duration. Patients notice that some joints are stiff in the morning, and there is a scratching noise when moving their knees. Some restrictions of movement may occur, joints increase in volume;
  • In the third stage, mobility is significantly limited, constant pain, severe joint deformity.

Unfortunately, at the first signs of the disease, hardly anyone is alarmed. Therefore, people go to specialists with already severe joint disease, when much more complicated treatment is needed.

degenerative stage of the knee joint

Osteoarthritis of the knee with delayed diagnosis and inadequate treatment can have very serious consequences, which can cause the leg to be completely immobilized, when moving in space. without crutches becomes completely impossible.

In the most advanced cases, the only way is surgery, in which an artificial joint will be implanted.

These operations are complicated, expensive, and can be complicated.

So it's important not to let go of your knee pain and not delay your visit.

Treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee with alternative methods

In order to defeat gonarthrosis, complex treatment is very important: combining the remedies prescribed by a specialist with folk remedies for the treatment of knee effusion.

The folk remedies for osteoarthritis are effective, especially in the early stages of the disease. Their use at the very least relieves pain, and to the maximum extent allows you not to take problems into costly surgeries.

In addition, it should not be noted that the disease is chronic and therefore requires regular attention. Modern experts believe that osteoarthritis of the knee is a progressive disease that cannot be cured.

Accordingly, most treatment involves taking several drugs continuously to relieve pain and reduce the inflammatory process. However, taking the drug for a long time without interruptions will be harmful. That is why for people with genital warts it is important to do it by folk methods, at least during remission.

So let's find out what is an alternative treatment for knee effusion. The experience fighting the disease goes back hundreds of years, so the list of home remedies that can be used is rich. For added convenience, folk remedies for osteoarthritis can be divided into 4 groups.

Medicinal materials

Folk methods for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee

The first group includes medicinal herbs: burdock, onions, canola, cabbage leaves, etc. v. Treatment of osteoarthritis with herbal remedies involves the use of homemade and external medications.

  • Tablets made from fresh horseradish root, cabbage leaves or burdock, should be applied to the sore knee, insulated with a cotton ball or covered with ice and left overnight to help relieve pain. forward. Previously, cabbage leaves were crushed or crushed to have a greater effect on water secretion, you can gently rub the leaves with honey. Burdock leaves dipped in boiling water for 30 seconds, then let cool. Chopped horseradish, slightly warm;
  • You can also use cineraria: a few tablespoons of dried herbs should be boiled with boiling water then let cool to 40-50 ° C. The infusion is taken before a meal, and the part of the royal treeThe remainder is used in the form of compression;
  • If the disease is in an early stage, an ice remedy can be used. The ice pack is wrapped tightly around the pain with a wool cloth and held there until the ice melts. This method is used when you need to quickly get rid of the swelling and stop the inflammation;
  • Compression takes a long time, so for many people it is more convenient to rub different. Rubbing is a liquid mixture of healing agents that must be rubbed vigorously against the affected skin area. For the treatment of dry joints, topical elecampane root, brewed with vodka, chamomile alcohol, dandelion alcohol and sunflower oil is especially suitable. It is better to apply them on clean skin, ideally steamed. Need to rub the painful knee every day for 5-10 minutes, then use a warm towel or cloth to reapply for a while;
  • Another proven recipe is alcohol saber, for the preparation of 1 to 1, 5 tablespoons of herbs are poured into 100 ml of vodka and left. The knee is treated with tincture results twice a day for a month;
  • There is a potato sprout-based recipe. They are washed, put in a glass box, poured vodka and kept away from light for three weeks. After this stage, the infusion is filtered, the used sprouts are removed;
  • You can also peel and chop the top of garlic, pour 200 ml of vegetable oil on top and leave in the dark for a week. Alcohol has a strong odor, which should be kept in mind if you go somewhere right after application. In this case, you should thoroughly wash the areas where alcohol has been stuck;
  • Many people claim the benefits of bathing based on medicinal herbs: malt, senna and others. A pine bath works well. You can buy pre-made juniper leaves from pharmacies, or make your own decoction. To do this, you need to take young conifers with a total volume of approximately one liter, pour two or three liters of water and cook for about 10 minutes. After that, the broth is filtered, the branches are discarded and the liquid is poured into a water bath. You should bathe with herbal remedies for 15 minutes.

The simplest one is a salt bath. Put three tablespoons of sea salt or regular salt and the same amount of baking soda in a basin with hot water, then soak your affected knee in the basin for 15 minutes.

After bathing, the right foot is quickly dried and hidden under a warm cloth.

Self-prepared infusion fluids for indoor use. They do not require boiling, dry herbs just need to be poured over boiling water and kept cool. Infusion is carried out 2-3 times a day, half a glass each time. To treat knee fluid, the infusion is made from horsetail grass, juniper, young nettle and birch leaves.

For the pain, the onions infusion has a very effective healing effect: two medium-sized onions poured with a liter of boiling water and braid, sharpening into three doses.

knee symptoms

Another simple yet effective recipe is reishi tea. Pour 1 teaspoon of fresh or dried reishi leaves with a cup of boiling water.

Like most infusion teas, this tea should be drunk half a glass twice a day for a month, preferably in the afternoon.

The use of these decoctions helps to restore metabolic processes in the affected cartilage tissues, relieves pain and promotes the removal of harmful compounds from the synovial fluid.

Self-massage

The second folk remedy for osteoarthritis is self-massage. Self-massage is very effective, and at the same time it doesn't cost you any money, except for temporary costs. Please note that the knee should be prepared before the workout! It is best to warm it in a warm shower or gently rub it in a circular motion.

Then you can go directly to the massage.

His main techniques are as follows:

  1. Round strokes with the palm of your hand. We rotate the lungs, do not press, swipe clockwise and vice versa, affecting not only the knees, but also the surrounding areas. This technique reduces muscle tone and improves blood and lymph flow from the area affected by dry joints;
  2. Rub. We rub our knees in a circular motion, at the same time exerting tangible pressure. Can be rubbed with palms or with folded fists. This helps to relax the muscles and improves joint mobility. Circular movements are most effective in the Turkish posture if the condition of the knee allows this pose;
  3. Kneel with your fingertips with moderate pressure. This technique allows you to have a beneficial effect on deeper structures.
self-massage treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee

You can massage yourself by taking a bath at a comfortable temperature. Some sources mention honey massages at night, but often a special cream or ointment is used. You can make such an ointment yourself.

This requires adding a small amount of essential oil to the tank with the kerosene. Rosemary oil has a positive effect on blood circulation, peppermint oil has a cooling and analgesic effect, and lavender oil helps to prevent inflammation.

It takes about 15 minutes to do the massage sequence, possibly from 2 to 4 times per day. Only regular self-massage is effective. In addition, massage is also useful as a preventive measure, in which case it should be done at least once a week.

When massaging yourself, you should not feel pain or discomfort, otherwise it may only aggravate the situation.

Gymnastics

The third remedy is gymnastics. It also needs preliminary preparation, warm-up, can be used as self-massage. The use of this two-media complex has a positive effect on their effectiveness.

Here are three simple exercises:

  • Sit on a table or high chair with your feet off the floor. Then just swing the leg from side to side, not sharp and the range of motion is too large. The duration of the exercise is about seven minutes;
  • Sit in a comfortable chair with knees bent perpendicular and feet flat on the floor. The exercise can be performed with only one affected leg, but is helpful when using both legs not only when both knees are affected, but also for preventive purposes. Place your feet on your toes, lift your heels off the floor as high as you can, then lower to the floor, then repeat at a calm pace for five minutes. Can be done with two legs alternately or simultaneously;
  • Maintain the same pose as before, now relying only on the heels. Use your toes to gently hit the floor. The duration of the exercise is five minutes.

Some exercises can be done early in the morning while still in bed. They are a kind of exercise for joints. One of those exercises is cycling exercise.

Another exercise is done as follows: bend one leg and let the other leg extend, pull the toes of the leg out as far as you can go, then switch legs. Repeat a few times. You can also alternately pull your legs up to your chest and straighten them.

Adjust source

The 4th home treatment for osteoarthritis is considered nutritional adjustment. External impact on the body is not enough, it is necessary to compensate for the lack of substances necessary to restore the structure of cartilage cells.

Therefore, you will have to make changes to the regular menu: add some products and exclude some or reduce their usage to a minimum.

The nutritional problem is particularly relevant for overweight people, as with gonarthrosis, weight gain exacerbates the already poor state of joint structure.

Let's start with a list of recommended products:

Nutrition rules for knee arthritis
  • Dairy products: cheese, cheese, sour cream, kefir with fat content not exceeding 3, 2%. They contain many proteins useful for the repair of cartilage tissue;
  • Millet porridge, rice and buckwheat, whole wheat bread. These foods are rich in complex carbohydrates, unable to synthesize synovial fluid. You should not buy instant porridge. They will not be useful, because grains are processed for them in a completely different way than when cooking at home, resulting in most of the useful elements being destroyed;
  • Gelatin dishes: jelly fish, jelly meat, jelly, pudding. Gelatin helps to restore cartilage cells due to its high collagen and chondroitin content;
  • Any fruits and vegetables, as they are high in fiber. Green vegetables, carrots, beans, celery, turnips and cauliflower are especially helpful;
  • Steamed or steamed meat and fish, especially when combined with vegetables;
  • Sprouted wheat;
  • Nuts: hazelnuts, pine nuts and almonds.

For better absorption of healthy food, you should drink two cups of mineral water per day.

Let's move on to the list of harmful products:

  1. Salt and spices. However, they cannot be completely eliminated from the diet; however, to combat joint diseases, you should limit their use. This rule does not apply to turmeric: its use, on the contrary, is considered beneficial. It has been shown that turmeric has a positive effect on cartilage tissue, contributing to its growth and recovery;
  2. Any fatty, smoked and pickled dishes;
  3. Semi-finished products;
  4. Fast food and carbonated drinks;
  5. Alcoholic beverages: even a small amount of alcohol slows down the metabolism, negatively affects the regeneration process;
  6. Sweets and products from flour. They contain many simple carbohydrates that can cause weight gain. As mentioned above, extra weight creates an additional load on joints that have already been weakened by dry joints;
  7. Coffee. This drink can be consumed, but only in small amounts, otherwise calcium will be eliminated from the body;
  8. Pepper, cabbage and tomatoes, prevent collagen, prevent cartilage tissue from regenerating and growing;
  9. Citrus and cherries. Due to their high acid content, their use adversely affects the structure of the bones.

To get the most out of this diet, remember to drink enough water: at least 1. 5 liters per day. Daily calorie intake should not exceed 3, 000 and food should be at room temperature, avoiding heat.

Don't forget that how long and successful the treatment for osteoarthritis is depends on your willingness to do all the necessary processes on a regular basis and in compliance. prime diet.

Regularly see your doctor, listen to your doctor's advice and at the same time use folk remedies to treat osteoarthritis, you can make significant progress in the fight against the disease. this.