Osteoarthritis of the joints is a complex degenerative disease associated with the destruction of cartilage tissue inside the joints. This pathological process is the most common joint disease in the world. According to the latest statistics, it affects about 80% of the world's population.
With this disease, various changes and rearrangements occur in the articular ends of the bones over a long period of time, and inflammatory processes develop. As a result, degeneration of the periarticular tissues occurs.
Treatment of arthrosis with folk remedies is carried out in order to eliminate unpleasant symptoms and improve motor functions. But it should be understood that their use does not give an instant effect.
With this disease, the destruction of the joints occurs for a long time, respectively, it will not work to heal them in one or two days. Therapy should be long and systematic.
A few words about pathology
Osteoarthritis is a disease in which the destruction of cartilaginous elements and deformation of bones is noted. It most often develops against the background of trauma, congenital anomalies of the musculoskeletal system. Osteoarthritis is also often a consequence of:
- disorders of the thyroid gland;
- Metabolic disorders;
- overweight;
- dysfunction of the sex glands.
In medicine, there is also another term - arthrosis. What it is? This disease is a type of osteoarthritis, but has some differences. Arthrosis is a disease of a chronic nature, during which cartilaginous tissues, ligaments, subsound bones, synovial membranes, capsules and periarticular muscles are involved in the pathological process. The causes of this disease are the same as those of osteoarthritis, but the symptoms are slightly different.
If with arthrosis just pain, swelling and redness are observed, then with arthrosis, joint deformity, a change in gait and the appearance of the limb are noted. In other words, osteoarthritis is an advanced stage of arthritis, in which all joint structures are damaged. The therapy of pathologies is similar, therefore, given the alternative methods of treating arthritis, they can also be used for arthrosis.
Basic rules for home treatment
You can treat osteoarthritis at home at any stage of its development. But in order for folk remedies to really give a positive result, it is necessary to adhere to certain rules:
- The use of alternative medicine does not mean that you should refuse to take drugs prescribed by the doctor, gymnastic and physiotherapy procedures. Folk remedies are only an auxiliary method of treating arthrosis, and not the main one.
- Study the recipes carefully. No ingredient can be replaced. If you don't have them, you should look for another way to treat osteoarthritis at home.
- Under no circumstances change the amount of ingredients used. Their number should fully comply with the indicators described in the instructions.
- When preparing "home medicine" you should use only fresh and high-quality raw materials. Keep an eye on its expiration date.
- If you need to mix something, use a wooden spatula. The inventory of metals, when interacting with oxygen, begins to oxidize.
- For cooking decoctions it is recommended to use enameled dishes.
- If, in addition to arthrosis of the joints, there are other chronic diseases (heart failure, stomach ulcers, etc. ), be sure to consult your doctor before using alternative methods.
Using even the best alternative medicine recipes does not mean you can switch to a regular diet. Nutrition plays a major role in osteoarthritis. During its treatment, you must completely abandon products containing purine. This:
- cocoa, chocolate;
- veal, beef;
- herring, carp;
- Beans;
- rice;
- liver, etc. .
Coffee and alcoholic beverages with arthrosis should also not be consumed. They contain substances that have a negative effect on the joints, reducing their elasticity and strength. You also need to take care of the drinking regime. Water helps flush out uric acid salts. And the less they are in the body, the lower the risk of edema and severe pain. At least 1. 5-2 liters of water should be drunk per day. You can replace it with mineral water, compotes, fruit drinks.
Alternative Medicine Recipes
Folk remedies for arthrosis should be used for a long time. Sometimes treatment is delayed up to 3-6 months. And only if everything is done correctly, positive results do not take long to come. But even after the condition improves, it is not worth stopping treatment. The result must be fixed, and for this it will be necessary to apply alternative medicine recipes for several more weeks.
Horseradish
It is possible to treat arthrosis with folk home remedies using horseradish. This will require the root part of the plant. It is used fresh in summer and dried in winter. Before starting treatment, the roots should be thoroughly washed under running water, then chopped with a grater. After that, the resulting mass should be transferred to an enameled container, poured with water so that it covers the raw material by 2-3 cm, and then the container is placed on a slow fire. It is not necessary to bring the broth to a boil, the roots just need to soften.
Until the liquid cools, it is necessary to moisten a gauze napkin, and then apply it in a warm form to the diseased area. Polyethylene is necessarily put on top and a warm bandage is applied. Remove the compress after 1. 5-2 hours. It is not worth keeping it longer, as a burn may appear. It is better to do the procedure before going to bed, since after that it is recommended to provide the joint with complete rest.
Important! Horseradish roots contain substances that irritate the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose and eyes. And to avoid trouble, it should be crushed either on the street or in a well-ventilated place. And in order to prevent the appearance of a burn, it is impossible to put such a horseradish compress more than once a day. If, after removing it, a slight redness appears on the skin, do not worry. After 1-2 hours it will pass.
medical bile
To stop joint pain, traditional medicine suggests using a compress made from medical bile. You can buy it at any pharmacy. But to put a compress, in addition to the main ingredient, you will also need:
- iodine;
- Honey;
- glycerol;
- 10% ammonia.
All ingredients are mixed in equal proportions, transferred to a dark glass container and placed in a place protected from sunlight for 10 days. Shake container daily. After that, the tincture will be ready for use, and you can start putting on compresses.
Before each procedure, the tincture is heated in a water bath. While it is hot, a gauze pad is moistened in it and applied to the affected joint. Wax paper is applied on top, a layer of cotton wool, then everything is fixed with a bandage. Keep the compress for 2-3 hours. It is best to do this before going to bed.
Such treatment of the knee joint can improve blood circulation, restore damaged cartilaginous elements and relieve stiffness in movement. But it has contraindications and these include:
- the presence of open wounds, cuts, purulent formations on the skin;
- dermatological diseases of various etiologies;
- intolerance to components.
cabbage leaf
Cabbage leaves have a pronounced analgesic effect. Therefore, even doctors recommend using them when joint pain appears. And in combination with natural honey, they are able to eliminate stiffness in movement and improve motor functions.
Use cabbage leaves with honey to fix the compresses. To do this, you need to choose fresh and juicy leaves, grease their concave part with honey and attach them to the diseased area. A film is necessarily applied on top, and a woolen scarf is rolled up on top. Put on a compress for the night. Take it off only in the morning. The remaining honey is washed off with warm water. The minimum duration of treatment is 30 days.
Important! If you are allergic to bee products, honey should not be used. In this case, it is recommended to use only cabbage leaves. But before putting on a compress, they need to be lightly beaten so that the juice begins to come off of them.
Eggshell and kefir
In osteoarthritis, the joints lack calcium. And this element is very important for them, because it is a "building material", without which the process of forming new cells is disrupted. And to compensate for a calcium deficiency, you can use eggshells.
To do this, it must be thoroughly washed, removing all films, dried and ground into a powder with a coffee grinder or blender. After that, the resulting powder should be mixed with 2. 5% kefir to get a porridge. The finished composition is transferred to a gauze napkin, then applied to the damaged joint, a layer of polyethylene and a warm bandage come on top. Such a compress is made daily 2-3 hours before bedtime.
Chalk
This method of treating osteoarthritis also aims to fill the calcium deficiency of the joints. Chalk is also used to fix a compress. To do this, it is ground into a powder, then mixed with sour cream or yogurt. The finished mixture is placed on a gauze napkin, applied to the joint, and polyethylene and a bandage are applied on top. Put on such a compress also a few hours before bedtime.
Elecampane
Treatment of arthrosis with folk remedies also involves the use of elecampane. This plant has a pronounced anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect. It is sold in pharmacies. Used to make alcohol tincture. To do this, 50 g of a medicinal plant are poured into 125 ml of alcohol. The resulting mixture is transferred to a dark glass container and infused for 2 weeks in a place protected from sunlight.
After the remedy is infused, it must be strained. Then place in the refrigerator. It is used to rub areas affected by arthritis. Rubbing is carried out with light circular movements for 10-15 minutes. After that, the treated area is wrapped with a warm scarf. These procedures are performed 1-2 times a day, depending on the severity of the pain syndrome.
Dandelion
Herbs for arthrosis of the joints are used differently. So, for example, you can use fresh dandelion flowers. They also help relieve pain and stiffness. They make an alcoholic tincture. To do this, a glass jar is filled with flowers and poured with alcohol. The remedy should be infused in a dark place for 1 month. After which it must be filtered. Use the same way as elecampane tincture.
Important! According to the same scheme, you can prepare a tincture of white lilac flowers. It also perfectly eliminates joint pain and has a decongestant effect.
Celandine
Speaking about the most effective means of alternative medicine to combat arthrosis, it is also necessary to mention celandine. Oil is made from this plant. To do this, take fresh leaves and stems of the plant. They are mixed in equal proportions and scrolled through a meat grinder, then 8 tbsp. I. pour 1 liter of olive oil.
The resulting mixture is placed in a dark place for 14 days. After being infused, it can be used to treat painful joints. To do this, the finished oil is applied to the affected area in a small amount and rubbed in with light circular movements for 5-10 minutes. It is recommended to use this remedy 2-3 times a day.
Bay leaf
Bay leaves have the ability to remove excess uric acid salts from the body, which accumulate in the joints, causing inflammation and pain. To get rid of unpleasant symptoms, it is recommended to take 12 bay leaves, put them in an enamel saucepan and pour 400 ml of cold water. The container is on fire. When the liquid boils, reduce the heat and cook the broth for another 5 minutes.
After that, the broth is poured into a thermos and insisted for another 12 hours. Then it is filtered and consumed completely throughout the day for 3-5 doses. The duration of treatment is 7 days. After that, a 5-day break is made, then therapy resumes. Such treatment is carried out for 2-3 months. The decoction is prepared daily. Its storage time should not exceed 24 hours. There are contraindications:
- pregnancy;
- renal pathologies;
- impaired liver function.
Honey
The use of honey improves blood circulation in the affected joint and improves the synthesis of synovial fluid, which acts as a lubricant. In the case of osteoarthritis and arthrosis, it is used pure for massages. To do this, it is placed in a water bath and heated. During the whole procedure, the honey should be warm. It is applied in a small amount to the affected area and begins to "drive" into the skin with the palm of the hand with light tapping movements.
The massage is carried out for 20 minutes. After its completion, the treated area is wrapped with a warm scarf for 1. 5-2 hours. The remaining honey is washed off with warm water. The complete cure is 10 sessions. The first 3-4 day massage is done daily, then every other day.
Also, for the treatment of arthrosis and arthrosis, honey can be used to apply compresses. To do this, it is mixed with salt in a ratio of 2: 1. The resulting mixture is placed on a soft cotton cloth and applied to the diseased joint. A cotton layer is applied on top and fixed with a bandage. Keep the compress should be at least 3 hours. It is best to do this before going to bed.
groats
Oatmeal also helps fight joint pain, relieve swelling and swelling. Use it to fix a compress, pre-boil without adding salt and sugar. When the porridge becomes hot, it must be mixed with honey so that the consistency is thick and does not flow. The resulting composition is transferred to a gauze napkin and applied to the joint. Polyethylene is put on top, a warm bandage is applied. The compress is kept overnight.
pharmacy cocktail
To prepare it, you will need:
- alcohol tincture of iodine;
- aspirin.
The proportions are as follows - for 10 ml of iodine 5 tablets. The ingredients are mixed, after grinding the aspirin to a powder state, and the resulting mixture is applied to the damaged joint. Put a film on it and fix everything with a bandage. Keep the compress for 2 hours. For best results, it should be alternated with honey compresses.
healing ointment
Ideal for relieving pain and inflammation. For its preparation you will need chamomile flowers, calendula and burdock root. The components are pre-ground and combined in equal proportions. After that, the resulting mixture is mixed with petroleum jelly so that the composition acquires the consistency of an ointment. Before use, the product should be insisted in a dark place for 2 days. The ointment should be rubbed into the diseased joint 3-5 times a day.
Herbs
You can supplement the treatment of arthrosis at home with herbal infusions and decoctions. Herbs contain a huge amount of nutrients that contribute to:
- excretion of uric acid salts;
- elimination of inflammatory reactions;
- pain relief;
- repair of damaged tissues.
Among all the recipes of alternative medicine, the most effective of them are:
- An infusion of nettle, parsley root, elderflower and oak bark. From these plants a remedy is prepared which is taken orally. Take them in equal proportions, mix thoroughly. After that, 2 tbsp. I. 400 ml of boiling water is poured into the finished raw material and infused for about 30-40 minutes. Take the "medicine" 2 times a day in filtered form, 150-200 ml.
- Saber dye. For its preparation, take the root part of the plant. It is crushed and poured with alcohol in a ratio of 1: 2. After 14 days of infusion in a dark place, the product is filtered and put in the refrigerator. Tincture is taken 2 times a day for 1 tbsp. It can also be used to rub a painful joint.
- Decoction of tricolor violet, nettle, birch leaves. The components are pre-mixed in equal proportions. After that, 1 tbsp is taken from the received collection. I. herbs and pour them with a glass of boiling water. The broth is simmered in a water bath for 15-20 minutes, after which it is insisted for 30 minutes and strained. Take ½ cup 2 times a day.
Folk remedies effectively help with pain and inflammation in the joints that occur with arthrosis and arthrosis. However, you must understand that they do not have an instant effect. Only their long-term and systematic use in combination with the main methods of treatment will help to achieve positive results and prevent the progression of the disease.