Oh this pain. Sharp, painful, unexpected, preventing you from touching the affected joint. People suffering from metabolic disorder are ready to do anything to delay the next attack - the course of therapy includes medication, diet, traditional medicine, physiotherapy, sanatorium treatment, balneotherapy... Foot baths for gout are considered one of the simplest and most effective ways to fight with illness. They improve blood circulation, cleanse joints of urates and accelerate their elimination from the body, and relieve pain.
Methods for treating gout at home
Since gout attacks are very painful, the patient requires NSAIDs and analgesic medications. They are quite effective, but have many contraindications and side effects.
Allopurinol, Colchicine and Probenecid, prescribed for mandatory daily use, block the synthesis of excess uric acid and reduce the frequency of gout attacks by improving the excretion of urate by the kidneys. These medications quickly relieve pain and swelling, but with prolonged use they cause skin rashes and nausea.
Along with drug therapy, patients are advised to drink more, preferably alkaline liquids, follow a purine-free diet, and insulate the affected joint for better solubility of urate salts.
Traditional medicine recommends treating gout at home with warm foot baths. Water procedures improve blood circulation and accelerate the removal of uric acid from joints. By the way, traditional medicine has also adopted this simple and effective method.
Stimulating blood flow: contrast procedures
Contrast baths are recommended for all patients diagnosed with gout. This procedure restores blood circulation, delivering uric acid salts to the kidneys and removing them along with urine. When exposed to cold, the lymphatic vessels contract, and when exposed to heat, they relax. In the lymphatic system, unlike the vascular circulatory system, there is no central pump - the heart. By alternating hot and cold baths, the blood will pump faster and move stagnant fluid from the affected joints.
This balneotherapy has a positive effect on the inflammation process and helps to evacuate uric acid from the joints and other tissues of the body. Regular use of contrast baths is beneficial for the whole body, and not just for gout on the legs. The duration of one treatment procedure is 20 minutes. The water used should not contain salts, herbal infusions or soda. For contrast baths, pure liquid is used.
Indications for the use of baths for gout
Is it possible to take baths if you have gout? It is known that the solubility of monosodium urate improves at elevated temperatures. For example, at 30° C the maximum concentration of uric acid in saline is 4.5 mg/100 ml, and at 37° C it is already 6.8 mg/100 ml.
Water treatments for gout will replace compresses and lotions
In addition, many years of medical practice have shown that exacerbation of gouty arthritis occurs mostly during the cold period - autumn, winter and spring. Therefore, rheumatologists have come to the conclusion that baths for gout are not only possible, but also necessary.
Balneotherapy has the following effects on the source of inflammation:
- reduces pain in the joints of the feet and hands;
- eliminates swelling and hyperemia of the skin;
- relaxes the muscles and ligaments of the limbs.
Baths are especially useful in cases where other folk remedies (compresses, lotions, applying ointments) are extremely painful. With the help of balneotherapy, you can improve blood flow in hard-to-reach joints and cleanse them of uric acid.
But cold compresses, which are recommended to be applied to a sore spot, will do more harm than good if used frequently. They are only effective as short-term relief, as they cause increased crystallization of uric acid in the extremities.
Hydrotherapy can be performed either at home or in a hospital, depending on what procedure is needed. Thanks to this treatment, gout attacks become less frequent and noticeably soften. After completing the full course, stiffness and limp disappear, pain and swelling disappear.
Before starting balneotherapy, it is advisable to consult a doctor. The specialist will select the appropriate ingredients for the procedure, the permissible water temperature and frequency of use.
Types of baths
There are a huge number of types of baths. All of them are prescribed based on the patient’s condition, his age and the presence of concomitant diseases.
For gout, mineral, herbal, soda, and turpentine baths are most effective. They are usually made at home. In sanatorium conditions, urate disease is treated with carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, radon and iodine-bromine procedures.
It is recommended to use them only during remission as an addition to conservative treatment methods.
Mineral
Baths of this type are made both at home and in sanatoriums. They provide a very versatile effect - when they come into contact with the skin, mineral substances act on numerous receptors and have a beneficial effect not only on the joints, but also on the body as a whole.
Salt
Salt baths are prepared using regular table or sea salt. The procedure is prescribed for arthritis, fractures, gout and bruises, as it relieves joint pain and muscle tension and improves tissue metabolism.
The healing solution is prepared from 85 g of salt and 1 liter of water. The bath temperature should not exceed +36...+37° C. It is at these readings that blood flow increases and the absorption of oxygen and beneficial compounds by cells increases. The duration of therapy is 15 minutes.
Mud
Most often, freshwater silt deposits (sapropel) and sea sulfide mud are used for therapeutic baths. They retain heat for a long time and warm up the small joints of the hands and feet well. Intended for local and general use.
Saki mud is ideal for treating gout.
It is recommended to do mud baths before bed.
Carbon dioxide
To carry out the treatment procedure, water saturated with carbon dioxide is used. Gas bubbles, either settling or rising from the surface of the skin, have a massage effect and stimulate metabolism, so it is better to bathe in such baths rather than take them topically.
You can get a similar procedure only at natural springs (Shivanda, Kislovodsk, Essentuki) or in a medical institution.
Carbon dioxide has a slight hypotensive effect, so people with high blood pressure should avoid it. A bath is prescribed in the morning on an empty stomach or 2 hours after breakfast.
Another type of gas balneotherapy is hydrogen sulfide baths. Their beneficial effects are due to the presence of hydrogen sulfide. Penetrating into the body, the substance has a vasodilating effect and stimulates the liver, which has a positive effect on purine metabolism.
Herbal
When treating gouty arthritis, traditional healers recommend more active use of medicinal plants. They have an excellent anti-inflammatory effect, relax, reduce pain and swelling of tissues.
Rules for using herbal baths:
- to prepare the solution, take 50 g of dry raw material per liter of hot water;
- the temperature of the infusion should not exceed...+38° C;
- It is better to take a bath in the evening, and after the procedure, put woolen socks on your feet;
- It is recommended to supplement balneotherapy with plenty of alkaline fluids.
What baths are most effective for gout? It will be good if you do the procedure with pharmaceutical chamomile or the herbs of thyme, milkweed, and sage. A hot infusion will reduce pain, increase blood flow and reduce swelling. Place your feet in it up to your ankles and hold for 15–20 minutes.
Apple cider vinegar goes well with medicinal plants. It is believed that this combination accelerates the elimination of uric acid and cleanses the joints, restoring lost flexibility.
There is another interesting recipe in the herbalists' encyclopedia - an infusion of green pine cones. This remedy was once well known and widely used to treat arthritis. Today, unfortunately, he has been almost forgotten.
Whey is no less effective. This is simply a unique medicine for gout patients. The microelements contained in it quickly dissolve urate salts and saturate the cartilage tissue with the necessary substances.
Sodas
Soda is a weak alkali that can neutralize the destructive effects of uric acid. Based on it, hot foot baths are prepared, to which a few drops of iodine are added. Compresses and lotions are made from the same solution.
Bicarbonate procedures are not recommended for patients with wounds and scratches on the feet, as well as those who are allergic to soda.
Other bath recipes to combat illness
Patients suffering from gouty arthritis are often recommended to take a course of radon baths. They are based on the use of radioactive waters enriched with substance 222. The procedure restores uric acid metabolism, improves liver function, increases blood circulation, and also has a good analgesic effect.
There are also many good reviews about turpentine baths, invented in the last century by the Russian doctor A. Zalmanov. Turpentine oil, obtained by hot distillation from conifers, dilates blood vessels and literally brings the affected joint tissue back to life.
Gum baths eliminate “weather” pain, when your legs twist and break before rain or cold weather. It is better to carry out treatment before bed, since turpentine has a strong warming effect.
Use of medicinal plants
You can find any herbs in pharmacies, the pharmacist will advise which ones are best to use.
Infusions and decoctions are prepared at home for a bath for gout of the feet. You can purchase ready-made collections of medicinal plants at the pharmacy. To treat gout, it is recommended to use the following recipes:
- You will need 3 tbsp. l. crushed dry forest geranium and 2 liters of boiled water. The product is poured into a thermos or wrapped in a warm blanket to keep it warm and infuse. After half an hour, the solution is ready and you can take a bath. For such treatment, 1 procedure per day is sufficient. Baths based on forest geranium should be taken for 20 minutes.
- Euphorbia in the amount of 1 tbsp. l. Brew 400 ml of boiling water, leave for 2 hours. To prepare the infusion, the leaves, stems and flowers of the medicinal herb are used. After two hours of exposure, the medicine is heated to a suitable temperature, and the legs are placed in it up to the ankles. To successfully treat gout, it is recommended to do a similar procedure every day before going to bed, and at night make a lotion from the same solution.
- Medicinal sage is another versatile herb used to treat gout of the lower extremities at home. You will need 100 grams of dried herbs and 6 liters of boiling water. Sage is boiled in a sealed container for 10 minutes, then cooled to 38 C. For the first degree of the disease, the treatment period is 1 month, the frequency of the procedure is 1 time per day, the duration is 20 minutes. At stages 2–3 of the disease, therapy with sage is extended to 2–3 months, and the duration of the bath is increased to 1 hour.
You can take baths with common juniper, chamomile, medicinal soapwort, angelica and oat straw. The water temperature should not exceed 38 ºС and be less than 35ºС. To relieve an attack of gout, temperature is important.
Frequency of use and results
Balneotherapy activates the microcirculation system, improves the quality of synovial fluid and the nutrition of cartilage tissue, inhibits the formation of uric acid and prevents its deposition in the joints. Under the influence of baths, pain goes away, inflammatory processes subside, liver and kidney function improves, which promotes urate excretion, and lipid and purine metabolism are normalized.
How many procedures are needed to achieve a therapeutic effect? It all depends on the severity of the symptoms and the type of bath. For example, treatment with turpentine resin will require at least 20 sessions every other day, followed by a break.
Hydrogen sulfide baths are prescribed in one course, consisting of 10–12 procedures. Treatment with mud and carbon dioxide is also used. But balneotherapy with herbs can be carried out for as long as desired.
Precautionary measures
It would seem that a foot bath - what’s dangerous about it? It turns out that not everyone can do even such a harmless procedure. Contraindications include:
- acute attack of gout;
- liver or kidney stones;
- thrombosis and varicose veins;
- individual sensitivity to certain components;
- recent heart attack or stroke.
Of course, these conditions, with the exception of exacerbation of gout, are not an absolute contraindication to balneotherapy. However, each of them requires maximum caution and prior consultation with a doctor.
What to do?
If the allergy is not caused by a food product:
- immediately isolate yourself from the source of the allergy - a bouquet of flowers, perfume, a pet, a cosmetic product (cream, hair dye, etc.);
- wash your hands, face, rinse your mouth and nose thoroughly;
- take an antihistamine.
If you have a food allergy:
- cleanse the intestines and stomach - induce vomiting, give an enema, take activated charcoal;
- completely eliminate contact with the allergen;
- take an antihistamine.
A severe allergy attack can cause Quincke's edema - local swelling of the tissues of the face, genitals, abdomen, neck and larynx. The condition is dangerous because due to pressure on the internal organs, they function poorly and suffocation occurs. In this state it is necessary:
- call a doctor immediately;
- limit the effect of the allergen - for example, if the attack occurred due to an insect bite, apply ice to the wound and remove the sting;
- do not drink or eat until the doctor arrives;
- take an antihistamine.