Osteoarthritis of the knee joint: treatment with folk remedies, the best recipes

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Many people treat arthrosis of the knees using traditional recipes.

Arthrosis is a disease that affects the joints, causing them to stop functioning. Often this problem occurs on the knee joint. Unfortunately, many patients do not go to doctors for one reason or another.

This may be due to mistrust or caused by fear of leaving all your savings with a specialist. Be that as it may, it is this category of people who are especially interested in how to treat arthrosis of the knee joint with folk remedies.

Before we touch on this topic in more detail, it is worth saying right away that this disease can lead to serious consequences, including disability. Therefore, it is better not to neglect the consultation of a specialist!

• Causes
• Treatment without drugs
• Traditional treatment methods Rubbing
• Compresses
• Additional measures

Reasons for the development of arthrosis

The following factors may contribute to the development of arthrosis of the knee joints:

• excessive physical activity that does not meet age requirements, leading to joint damage;
• sedentary lifestyle;
• previous injuries in the area of ​​the knee joints - knee dislocations, fractures, ruptures and tears of ligaments, damage to the body of the meniscus, strong falls on the knee, bruises;
• increased body mass index, which causes increased stress on joints and meniscal tears;
• heredity;
• arthritis or other joint diseases (inflammation can lead to swelling or the accumulation of large amounts of synovial fluid in the joints, causing the destruction of cartilage tissue);
• metabolic failures leading to the removal of calcium from the body;
• diabetes mellitus of any type, hormonal imbalances and other pathologies of the endocrine system;
• chronic or past diseases of an inflammatory and infectious nature;
• blood flow disturbance;
• lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid, gouty and psoriatic pathologies, ankylosing spondylitis;
• flat feet, due to which the center of gravity shifts and the load on the joint increases;
• nervous overload and stressful situations.

Why does arthrosis of the knee joint occur?

Most often, people themselves become the culprits in the development of such an intractable disease. Often, when pain occurs in the knee joint, people ignore the pain, preferring instead of going to the doctor to use any medications that simply mask the pain.

After a few years, you will still have to consult a specialist, since with such a diagnosis, self-medication will not work. However, the severity of arthrosis will be at least moderate. Here you can no longer get by with ointments, intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid and preventive physical exercise, as could have been done in the early stages of the disease. Most likely, you will need to act radically, including sometimes using surgical intervention.

Symptoms and diagnosis of arthrosis of the knee joints

The disease can be distinguished by the following characteristics:

• Pain syndrome. Pain usually occurs suddenly, but most often during physical activity, even minor ones. The pain can be of different types. At first these will be weak shots (unfortunately, few people pay attention to them). Mild pain that occurs only periodically can continue for months, or even years, until the disease develops into a more severe stage.
• Noticeable deformity of the knee. A similar symptom is characteristic of the later stages. And at the beginning of the development of arthrosis, the knee swells and swells a little.
• The appearance of dense formations in the area of ​​the back wall of the knee joints. Accumulation of a large amount of joint fluid in the cavity of a Baker's cyst or in the joint itself.
• A sharp crunching of the joints, which is accompanied by pain.
• Decreased joint mobility. This is especially pronounced in the last stages of arthrosis. In this case, bending and straightening the knee causes severe pain, and in the final stages, movement becomes almost impossible.

REFERENCE! A patient with arthrosis changes his gait: it is characterized by wobbly legs and limping.

Description of treatment

Treatment of arthrosis of the knee joint is complex, including a course of anti-inflammatory drugs, agents that stimulate the regeneration of cartilage and bone tissue, physiotherapy and therapeutic exercises. In severe cases, surgery and replacement of the knee joint with an endoprosthesis are used.

Separately, methods of treating arthrosis with folk remedies are considered, the advantages of which are accessibility, the absence of side effects, and effectiveness in relieving pain and inflammation. Traditional medicine cannot completely cure the disease, but these methods are largely useful in relieving knee pain and improving movement function.

The main folk methods for treating knee arthrosis are compresses and rubbing using herbs, vegetable oils and other products.

Pathogenesis of arthrosis of the knee joints

Experts distinguish between primary and secondary arthrosis.

Primary arthrosis of the knee joints

The following processes are characteristic of primary gonarthrosis:

1. Articular cartilage is able to constantly deteriorate and at the same time quickly renew itself. Under normal conditions, these two processes should balance each other. As we age, cartilage destruction occurs at the same rate, but its restoration slows down. The mass of a person plays an important role here. After all, if one person weighs 70 kg, then in 10 steps on one leg he will carry 700 kg, and someone who weighs 120 kg will carry as much as 1200 kg, which will be a significant load on the joints and cartilage, which will wear out faster because of this.
2. It is important to remember: the joint is fed with useful elements only when it moves. A sedentary lifestyle leads to a slowdown in metabolic processes, which is why the necessary nutrients do not reach their destination.
3. The likelihood of developing gonarthrosis increases in people whose parents suffered from this disease.

Secondary arthrosis of the knee joint

It develops for the following reasons:

• Numerous injuries. In a person at any age, they will cause excessive stress on the cartilage. When any bones covered with cartilage are broken, irregularities appear, the so-called “steps”. In this area, now with any movement the joint will wear out, leading to arthrosis.
• The development of rheumatoid arthritis, Koenig's disease, the appearance of purulent inflammation in the joint area.
• Vascular dysfunction.

How to treat gonarthrosis?

Restoring joint mobility is not a matter of one month. The treatment is complex, it is expensive due to the high cost of drugs, and the result depends only on the patient’s desire to cooperate with the doctor and strict adherence to all medical recommendations and prescriptions.

But first. What needs to be done is to immediately reduce the load on the affected joint(s). If the work involves such stress, negotiate with management (if necessary, with doctor’s notes in hand) about changing your type of activity. For a while or forever - life will tell. Although often at first, bed rest may be required for the initial restoration of joint function. Remember: a joint is not a muscle, you cannot “work it out” with intense exercise, it will only make it worse. Activation of life with intense movements may be required later, after the most acute inflammation has subsided. But even when increasing the load, you need to use means of support in the form of elastic elastic bandages, a cane, a crutch, etc. Sometimes you cannot do without special orthopedic insoles or even custom-made orthopedic shoes.

Treatment of arthrosis of the knee joint is also possible at home, using outpatient medications prescribed by a doctor - chodroprotectors, painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs. Depending on the degree of damage to the joint and the type of inflammation, the doctor may prescribe nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). But for all their effectiveness in relieving symptoms, they do not eliminate the causes of the disease.

Do not heat sore joints with arthrosis! On the contrary, apply an ice pack to the inflamed area - it will help relieve swelling, redness and inflammation.

The use of chondroprotectors, on the contrary, does not relieve pain. But the restoration of cartilage tissue will proceed slowly but surely. The only question is the effectiveness of the drug, but you should try to use proven and certified medications for treatment. Preferably internationally recognized.

For some types and degrees of joint damage, applying and permanently (or temporarily) wearing a tightening bandage that fixes the joint can help. But this measure should be used only if the method is approved by the attending physician, since in some types of arthrosis, wearing such a bandage can aggravate the course of the disease.

You cannot completely immobilize yourself if you have knee pain. Moreover, with some types of inflammation, moderate physical activity only benefits the joint. An orthopedic doctor will tell you when and how much to exercise. Moreover, complete passivity in terms of physical activity will cause weight gain, and this will further aggravate the situation, loading the joint.

Drug treatment is usually combined with courses of physiotherapy, the most favorable for the treatment of arthrosis: magnetic and laser therapy (coherent laser radiation is used at safe frequencies), mechanical vibration and ultraphonotherapy, microwave installations with deep effects on tissue - when this is therapeutically justified.

In diagnosis, three degrees of arthrosis of the knee joint are distinguished.

Arthrosis I degree

The mildest degree of the disease. It is characterized by the fact that treatment does not require a large degree of medicinal influence, the list of medications is small, and measures involving physiotherapy, massage, and exercise therapy help well. One of the most effective methods is considered to be laser therapy, which significantly reduces pain, stimulates the regeneration of irradiated areas, and reduces inflammation. In addition, the use of coherent radiation with a strictly defined wavelength eliminates the need to use glucocorticosteroids in treatment, which cause a lot of side effects.

Arthrosis II degree

It is characterized by more intense and acute processes of inflammation and degeneration of cartilage tissue. In the acute period, special medications are prescribed, a special diet is recommended, and physical therapy designed for such cases is recommended. Physiotherapy and massage are excluded during these periods.

Recommendations: reducing the load on the affected joint, limiting walking, avoiding any movements associated with squatting. Special orthoses may be prescribed for the knee joint - devices that fix the joint and severely limit its mobility.

In the medical arsenal for the treatment of arthrosis of the second degree, along with chondroprotectors with glucosamine and chondroitin, steroid drugs, as well as anti-inflammatory non-steroids, may be present. It is possible to inject hyaluronic acid and other drugs into the joint capsule to facilitate the sliding of cartilage surfaces relative to each other.

A special diet with excess collagen is prescribed: jellied meat, jelly, aspic, and from confectionery products - gelatin soufflé. Including fish oil in your diet is beneficial.

Arthrosis III degree

When the knee joint is affected by arthrosis of the third degree, the treatment is not much different from the previous condition - except that the frequency of use of medications increases with a slight shift towards glucocorticosteroid hormones. If there are no results, there is a need for surgery followed by joint replacement.

Classification and stages of development of arthrosis of the knee joints

Orthopedists divide gonarthrosis into stages, on which further treatment of the disease depends. Of course, the course of treatment will also depend on other factors, for example, the cause of development, localization and nature of arthrosis.

IMPORTANT! Only a doctor can prescribe quality treatment after a complete study of the disease picture. Self-prescribed therapy can only worsen the health situation.

The main classification divides gonarthrosis into four stages of development:

1. Initial stage. At this stage, the disease is just beginning. External symptoms are subtle or completely absent, the shape of the joint is in satisfactory condition. The symptoms include only mild discomfort or heaviness in the knee after long walks, as well as heavy physical exertion. An x-ray examination will be uninformative: an x-ray may show only a slight narrowing of the joint space. Unfortunately, at this stage a person does not seek medical help due to the insignificance of symptoms.
2. The second stage is characterized by noticeable pain, especially when walking and climbing stairs, as well as at night. The severity of pain decreases at rest. Joint movement becomes difficult. While walking, you hear a crunching or creaking sound in your knees. On an x-ray, a narrowing of the joint space, as well as osteophytes, becomes noticeable. The patient begins to limp.
3. When arthrosis has entered the third stage, pain will be felt constantly, even in the absence of movement. The processes of deformation and degeneration enter an irreversible stage. The distortion of the joint becomes pronounced, the distance between the articular surfaces is noticeably reduced, and numerous osteophytes increase in size. Painful sensations now disturb the patient even in a state of complete rest. The person becomes dependent on outside support (walkers, canes) and requires help from other people. Conservative treatment at this stage is less effective.
4. The fourth stage is characterized by constant debilitating pain. Osteophytic growths increase in number and size, the cartilage is completely destroyed, the joint space is barely visible or completely absent, and the bones are severely deformed. Even weak movements become torture for the patient. At this stage of gonarthrosis, the patient is considered disabled. Without surgical intervention, the disease can lead to disability.

Complications of arthrosis of the knee joints

Advanced arthrosis can lead to dislocations and subluxations of the knee joint. When a dislocation occurs, the epiphysis of the femur goes completely beyond the limits of the joint, which makes movements in the joint impossible, and the axis of the leg moves significantly to the side. Fortunately, such a negative variant of the development of the disease is quite rare.

Subluxations are more common. They are characterized by partial displacement of the joints relative to each other and a slight deviation of the tibia axis. In this case, subluxations are accompanied by severe pain and impaired functioning of the joints.

Neglect of the disease can lead to complete loss of functionality of the lower limb.

ATTENTION! The habit of sparing a sore leg sometimes causes deformation of the intervertebral discs and the appearance of hernias.

Local remedies

At home, you can easily prepare external remedies with a healing effect from natural ingredients. These compounds soothe pain at the site of the joint affected by arthrosis.

Recipes for rubbing

Rubs made from natural ingredients will reduce joint pain and relieve spasms. Therapeutic massage can also be done using mixtures prepared according to these recipes:

1. Mix medical alcohol, aloe juice and camphor oil, 100 ml each. Add 2 ampoules of novocaine there. This mixture is infused for at least 7 days. Next, you can rub your joint with it every day before going to bed.
2. Eucalyptus, chamomile and pine needles are taken 1 tbsp. and mix. Next, all these raw materials are filled with olive oil. Rub prepared in this way is very popular among people suffering from arthrosis.

You can make a rub from aloe

Homemade ointments

Treatment with folk recipes involving the use of burdock root, calendula and chamomile has a beneficial effect on reducing the symptoms of arthrosis. You can prepare a very effective ointment from them at home. Manufacturing method: all herbs are crushed and taken in equal proportions, mixed with Vaseline. The ointment should be infused for 2-3 days and then applied to problem areas. If arthrosis brings severe pain and serious discomfort, then the ointment can be applied up to 5 times a day.

You can make an ointment from calendula and burdock root.

Compresses

For arthrosis, it is recommended to use warming, moist multilayer dressings. A medicinal composition is applied to the affected area, then it is covered with a film and wrapped in something woolen (shawl, scarf).

Examples of effective compresses:

1. You need to take a liter of vodka and pour it into 100 g of marsh cinquefoil. You need to insist for about 15 days. Moisten a piece of gauze in the resulting liquid, apply it to the sore area, cover with film and something warm.
2. Take burdock leaves (about 5 pieces) and vegetable oil (a teaspoon). Instead of burdock leaves, you can take cabbage leaves. The affected area is smeared with oil, wrapped in leaves, then wrapped in a woolen scarf for several hours.

The use of compresses for arthrosis

Another one of the most effective procedures is a gelatin compress. For 1 teaspoon of this substance take 250 ml of water. Mix everything and apply to the sore spot for 20 minutes. Compresses with gelatin also need to be covered with something warm on top.

Healing water treatments

Osteoarthritis in some cases makes the patient feel very difficult. Baths with salt and herbs help get rid of muscle spasms and pain.

Plant components improve blood circulation and speed up metabolism. Sea salt is beneficial for tissues that become inflamed due to osteoarthritis.

Baths with sea salt and herbs will help relieve arthrosis pain.

The water temperature of such a bath should be comfortable and not higher than 400C. It is recommended to stay in it no longer than half an hour.

Herbal bath

The most effective are calendula, nettle, sage, chamomile, oak bark, and St. John's wort.

Here are some recipes using them:

1. You need to mix St. John's wort, calendula and oregano in equal proportions. Pour 500 ml of boiling water over the resulting mixture and let it brew for about an hour. Next, pour it into the bath.

This decoction is not very concentrated, so it is recommended to use it only to warm the sore joint. The procedure should last no more than 20 minutes, baths should be done every other day for three weeks.

1. For a bath according to this recipe, you need to take tansy flowers, nettles and birch leaves in equal proportions. Pour 100 g of raw material into 4 cups of boiling water and leave for 30 minutes. Next, you need to add this solution to the bath and take it completely within a quarter of an hour. Course – 2 weeks every other day.

Pine baths

Baths with sea salt and pine branches are also beloved by people trying traditional treatments for arthrosis. You need to take 1 kg of salt, and 2-3 branches.

First, the twigs are placed in a bath and poured with boiling water. After 30 minutes, you can add salt and turpentine, all this to hot water. Next, when the bath is full, you need to wait until the water reaches a comfortable temperature and fit completely into it. The duration of the procedure is 20 minutes, there should be 12 such baths.

Coniferous bath for arthrosis

Salt and soda

For problems with small joints of the limbs, it will be useful to take local baths, especially soda-salt baths. A sea salt bath is prepared as follows: mix baking soda and salt in equal proportions, then pour boiling water over it. Take for 15 minutes, gently massaging the affected areas. After this procedure, it is recommended to wear wool socks or mittens. The course is 3 weeks, baths are taken every 2 days.

For arthrosis, treatment with traditional medicine recipes only helps effectively in combination with other treatment methods. The main thing is to first obtain the consent of the attending physician.

Treatment methods for arthrosis of the knee joint

The prescribed treatment depends on the degree of development of the disease. There are several treatment options.

Hormones

These drugs are prescribed for severe exacerbation, accompanied by synovitis and severe pain. Hormones are usually given by injection. The following drugs are most often used:

• Flosteron;
• Diprosfan;
• Hydrocortisone.

The course of treatment with hormones is usually short; injections are performed only during periods of severe exacerbation. Hormones are administered at an average frequency of once every 10 days.

Chondroprotectors

Chondroprotectors are prescribed at the initial stage of disease development. This therapy is currently considered the most effective and safe: there are practically no contraindications, and side effects occur in the rarest cases.

The drugs are aimed at restoring cartilage, improving metabolic processes, nourishing cartilage tissue and protecting it from further destruction. But in the last stages of arthrosis, chondroprotectors are also powerless.

This group of medications is produced in the form of injections, ointments, gels, and tablets.

Vasodilators

These funds are necessary to eliminate spasm of small vessels, increase blood circulation and supply nutrients to the area of ​​the affected joint. Vasodilators are prescribed together with chondroprotectors.

If joint fluid does not accumulate during gonarthrosis (no synovitis), it is recommended to use warming ointments.

Hyaluronic acid

In another way, this product is called an intra-articular fluid prosthesis, since the composition of the acid is similar in composition to the intra-articular fluid. When acid is introduced into a joint, it forms a film that prevents strong friction of cartilage during movement, affects the extracellular matrix, improving metabolic processes in the joint, and also triggers the production of its own hyaluronic acid in the joint - i.e. returns the functioning of the joint to normal, stopping pathological processes that destroy cartilage. .

Treatment with acid is prescribed only when exacerbation of synovitis is eliminated. The following drugs have shown effectiveness:

• HYAL-SIN: high molecular weight hyaluronic acid, concentration 1%, course of treatment: 3 injections with an interval of 7-10 days;
• HYAL-SIN PROLONG: also high molecular weight hyaluronic acid, concentration 2%, effect lasts up to 12-24 months, single use (can be repeated after 2-3 weeks);
• GIAL-SIN PROLONG PLUS. A new drug that allows you to achieve maximum results with one injection. Its main advantage is that during the production process, intermolecular cross-linking of hyaluronic acid chains is additionally performed to extend the restorative effect and increase resistance to destruction.

These drugs are in stock and can be purchased at any pharmacy in the city, or on our website at the best possible price.

Physiotherapy

A course of physical therapy will bring positive results only on the condition that it was prescribed by a doctor after a complete study of the medical history, and all exercises are carried out under the supervision of a specialist.

Self-medication often leads to a worsening of the situation with the joint. Exercise therapy is prescribed for the following purposes:

• slowing down the development of stiffness;
• prevention of further destruction of cartilage tissue;
• elimination of muscle spasm leading to pain.

Physiotherapy

Various procedures can be prescribed as additional therapy: electrophoresis, acupuncture, laser therapy, UHF, as well as diadynamic currents. Local massage will also give good results.

Physiotherapy is aimed at reducing the severity of pain, eliminating inflammation, normalizing metabolic processes within the affected joint and restoring its normal function.

IMPORTANT! It is important for the patient to monitor his diet and avoid strenuous physical activity.

Oral agents

Folk methods for effective treatment of arthrosis also include decoctions and infusions, which can be taken orally or contained in a compress:

1. Ingredients: 1/3 cup of pure alcohol and 30 grams of agave leaves. The leaves are crushed and filled with alcohol. After this, this mass should be placed in a dark and cool place for a couple of weeks. The resulting tincture is consumed before meals, twice a day, 30–40 drops. The course lasts a month.
2. You need to take a teaspoon of nettle, raspberry roots, elecampane, and black elderberry. Add half a spoon of mountain arnica and 1.5 tsp. marsh wild rosemary flowers. All this is poured into 0.5 liters of boiling water and placed in a water bath for 10 minutes. Then it is filtered. The tincture is ready. You need to consume 1/3 cup before breakfast, lunch and dinner for 45 days.

It is important to remember that you cannot prepare decoctions in aluminum saucepans, as a reaction with the metal may occur.

Herbal preparations

Very effective remedies for arthrosis are decoctions from plants. The following recipes are designed to help in the fight for healthy joints:

• A decoction of St. John's wort and chamomile. A mixture of this raw material is taken in equal proportions, filled with water and placed on the stove. Bring to a boil and keep for another 10 minutes. It is recommended to drink at least a liter of this decoction during the day;
• lingonberry leaves. It’s absolutely easy to do: put the leaves in a thermos and pour boiling water over them. Leave it on all night, and the next morning the medicine is ready
• The following recipe includes a mixture of birch leaves, nettles, pansies in the same ratio. All this is poured with boiling water and infused. This herbal decoction should be used up to three times a day.

Forecast. Prevention

At an advanced stage of the disease, the prognosis is disappointing. Therefore, it is recommended that if even minor symptoms of arthrosis occur, consult a doctor for advice.

People at risk (elderly people, athletes, and overweight people) must follow the doctor’s recommendations and adhere to the following rules:

1. Eat right and watch your weight. If necessary, follow a diet to lose weight.
2. When playing sports, reduce the load on your joints and constantly monitor it.
3. Treat infectious diseases in a timely manner, preventing them from becoming chronic.
4. Get plenty of rest and avoid stressful situations if possible.
5. Increase the protective functions of the body (periodically take vitamins, harden yourself).
6. Avoid hypothermia of the body, especially the lower extremities.

Water treatments

Water procedures have a beneficial effect on a person’s mental and physical condition; they help relieve pain and normalize blood circulation. For arthrosis it is recommended:

1. Visit baths more often and use herbal brooms.
2. Add essential oils to your bath. This procedure has a positive effect on the joints. You need to add oils, decoctions, infusions to warm water. It is advisable to take a bath in the evening, and you need to stay in the water for at least 30 minutes.

But before adding various medicinal herbs and oils to water, it is necessary to check them for an allergic reaction. Since water treatments with these products can cause itching, inflammation and swelling.