Thousands of people, especially after the age of fifty, suffer from various types of diseases of the musculoskeletal system. This has a significant impact on quality of life, places many limitations, and causes significant pain.
Osteoarthritis of the knee joint, or gonarthrosis, is rightly considered one of the leaders in the list of the most common causes of disability in the adult population of Russia. However, you should not think that you are not threatened with this disease at a young age: long before you retire by writing a note "Gonarthrosis of the knee joint" on the card after consulting a doctor.
Definition and causes of knee osteoarthritis
Arthrosis is nothing more than a destructive change in cartilage tissue, that is, the destruction and depletion of synovial fluid accompanied by a decrease in volume.
There can be many reasons for this:
- Delayed injuries and constant stress in the joints, exhaustion of physical labor;
- Hereditary factors;
- Metabolic diseases;
- Overweight;
- Poor nutrition, essential vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
Stages of osteoarthritis of the knee joint
Doctors distinguish three stages of osteoarthritis of the knee joint:
- The symptoms of the first stage are short-term pain after stress and pass fairly quickly at rest. The pain is dull, painful. Externally, the joint looks healthy, the only thing that can be noticed at this stage is a slight swelling;
- In the second stage, the pain syndrome is characterized by greater intensity and duration. Patients report a slight stiffness in the joint in the morning, a crisis when moving the knee. Some limitation of movement is possible, the joint volume increases;
- In the third stage, there is a significant restriction of mobility, persistent severe pain, acute deformity of the joint.
Unfortunately, at the first signs of the disease, almost no one gives an alarm. As a result, people turn to specialists with already advanced osteoarthritis when more complex treatment is required.
With late diagnosis and lack of proper therapy, there can be very serious consequences, up to complete immobility of the foot affected by osteoarthritis of the knee, making it completely impossible to move in space without a crutch.
In the most advanced cases, the only way out is an artificial joint placement operation.
These operations are complex, expensive, and can be complicated.
Therefore, it is very important not to neglect knee pain and not to delay a visit to the doctor.
Alternative treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee joint
Complex therapy is important to defeat gonarthrosis: a combination of drugs prescribed by a specialist and prescribed by folk remedies for osteoarthritis of the knee joints.
Traditional treatments for the knee joint have a fairly good effect, especially in the early stages of the disease. Their use at least eliminates the pain and allows you to maximize the issue without expensive operations.
We must not forget that this disease is chronic and therefore requires constant attention. Modern experts attribute osteoarthritis of the knee joint to incurable progressive diseases.
Therefore, most of the treatment consists of taking certain medications on a regular basis to reduce pain and reduce the inflammatory process. However, it is harmful to take the drug continuously for a long time. For this reason, it is very important for people suffering from gonarthrosis to be able to use folk remedies, at least in remission.
So, let's find out what is the alternative treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee joint. The experience of combating this disease goes back hundreds of years, so the list of drugs that can be used at home is very extensive. For more flexibility, all folk remedies for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee joint can be divided into four groups.
Medicinal plants
The first group includes herbs: burdock, onion, celandine, cabbage leaves, etc. Herbal treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee joint involves the use of self-medication, both internally and externally.
- Compresses made from fresh horseradish root, cabbage or burdock leaves, which need to be applied to a sore knee, insulated with cotton wool or several layers of bandage and left overnight, bring material comfort. Previously, cabbage leaves were crushed or beaten for more impact, so they release the juice, you can slightly lubricate the leaves with honey. Burdock leaves are immersed in boiling water for 30 seconds, then cooled. Horseradish root is chopped and heated slightly;
- You can also use bread: a few tablespoons of dried herbs should be boiled in boiling water and then cooled to 40-50 ° C. As a result, the infusion is drunk before meals, and the remaining infused celandine is applied in the form of compresses;
- If the disease is at an early stage, ice treatment can be applied. The ice pack is tightly glued to the painful area with a woolen cloth and remains there until the ice melts. This compress is used when it is necessary to get rid of edema quickly and stop the inflammatory process;
- Compresses take a long time, so for many people it will be more comfortable to rub differently. Rubbing should be applied vigorously to the skin of the affected area, it is a healing liquid mixture. For the treatment of osteoarthritis, rubbing the roots of elecampane, aging with vodka, chamomile tincture, tincture of yellow dandelion heads and sunflower oil are especially suitable. It is better to apply them on clean, ideally steamed skin. The painful knee should be rubbed for 5-10 minutes daily, then wrapped in a towel or any warm cloth for a while;
- Another proven recipe is to pour 1-1, 5 tablespoons of grass into 100 ml of vodka and let the sword rest. The knee is treated with a tincture that occurs twice a day for a month;
- There is a recipe based on potato sprouts. They are washed, put in a glass jar, poured with vodka and left in a dark place for three weeks. After this period, the infusion is filtered, the used seedlings are discarded;
- You can peel and chop the garlic, pour 200 ml of vegetable oil on it and keep it in a dark place for a week. Tincture has a strong odor, which should be taken into account if you need to go somewhere immediately after rubbing. In this case, you should thoroughly wash the areas where the tincture enters;
- Many people mention the benefits of herbal baths: malt, senna and others. Candle bath has a good effect. You can buy a ready-made needle collection at a pharmacy or make your own broth. To do this, you need to take young coniferous branches with a total volume of about one liter, pour two or three liters of water and cook for about 10 minutes. The broth is then filtered, the twigs are discarded and the liquid is poured into a water bath. You should take a bath with herbs for 15 minutes.
It is the simplest salt bath. Three tablespoons of ordinary or sea salt and the same amount of baking soda are poured into a basin of warm water, after which the painful knee is immersed in the basin for 15 minutes.
After the pinch, the feet should be dried quickly and hidden under a warm cloth.
Self-prepared infusions are taken internally. They do not require boiling, the dried herbs are simply poured with boiling water and kept to cool. Infusions are taken 2-3 times a day, half a glass each time. Infusions of horsetail, juniper, young nettle and maple leaves are prepared for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee.
A healing infusion of onion for pain is very effective: two medium-sized onions are poured into a liter of boiling water and insist, the resulting liquid is consumed in three doses.
Another simple but effective recipe is lingonberry tea. Pour a tablespoon of fresh or dried lingonberry leaves in a glass of boiling water.
Like most infusions, this tea should be drunk half a cup twice a day for a month, preferably in the afternoon.
The use of these mixtures helps to restore metabolic processes in the affected cartilage tissues, reduces pain syndrome and helps to remove harmful compounds from the joint fluid.
Self-massage
The second most popular folk remedy for osteoarthritis of the knee joint is self-massage. Self-massage is very effective, does not require any costs, except for temporary ones. Please note that the knee must be prepared before the session! It is best to warm up in a hot shower or under a gentle circular friction.
Then you can go directly to the massage.
The basic techniques are:
- Circular strokes with palms. While affecting not only the knee itself, but also the adjacent areas, we change it by pressing the lungs, clockwise and counterclockwise. This technique reduces muscle tone and improves blood and lymph flow from the area affected by osteoarthritis;
- Rub. While applying a material pressure, we rub the knee in a circle. It can be rubbed with a palm or a folded fist. It relaxes the muscles and improves joint mobility. Circular movements are most effective in a Turkish pose if the position of the knees allows this position;
- Knee joint with medium pressure fingertips. This technique allows you to have a beneficial effect on deeper structures.
Self-massage can be done by bathing at a comfortable temperature. Some sources refer to honey massage at night, but generally creams or special ointments are used. You can make such an ointment yourself.
To do this, add a small amount of essential oil to the container with petroleum jelly. Rosemary oil has a positive effect on blood circulation, peppermint oil has a cooling and analgesic effect, and lavender oil helps stop inflammation.
The duration of the self-massage procedure is about 15 minutes, it can be done 2 to 4 times a day. Only regular self-massage will be effective. In addition, massage is useful as a preventive measure, in which case it is enough to exercise at least once a week.
You should not experience any pain or discomfort while self-massaging, otherwise you may aggravate the situation.
Healing gymnastics
The third tool is therapeutic gymnastics. It also requires initial preparation, warming, which can be used as a self-massage. The use of these two tools in such a complex way has a positive effect on their effectiveness.
Three simple exercises:
- Sit on a table or high chair with your legs off the ground. Then just swing your feet from side to side, the swings should not be sharp and the movement area is very large. Training time is about seven minutes;
- In a comfortable chair, bend your knees at right angles and put your feet flat. The exercise can be performed only with one affected leg, but it is useful to use both legs not only when both knees are affected, but also for prophylactic purposes. Put your foot on your toes, lift your heel as far as you can from the ground, then lower it to the ground, and then continue to repeat this movement at a slow pace for five minutes. It can be done alternately or with both feet at the same time;
- From the same position as in the previous situation, only now lean on the heel. Use your fingers to gently tap the floor. Training time is five minutes.
Some exercises can be done early in the morning while in bed. These are a kind of exercise for the joints. One such exercise is cycling.
Another exercise is as follows: bend one leg and put the other in an extended position, pull the toes of the outstretched leg as far as possible, then switch legs. Repeat several times. Alternatively, you can stretch your legs to your chest.
Power adjustment
The fourth way to treat knee osteoarthritis at home is nutritional regulation. It is not enough to influence the body from the outside, it is necessary to eliminate the lack of substances needed to restore the structure of cartilage cells.
Therefore, you need to change the usual menu: add some products, exclude some or minimize their use.
The issue of nutrition is especially relevant for overweight people, because the extra pounds with gonarthrosis exacerbate the already poor condition of articular structures.
Let's start with the list of recommended products:
- Dairy products: cheese with a fat content of not more than 3%, 2%, cottage cheese, sour cream, kefir. Contains many proteins that are beneficial for the regeneration of cartilage tissue;
- Millet, rice and buckwheat porridge, wholemeal bread. These foods are rich in complex carbohydrates, without which the synthesis of synovial fluid is impossible. You should not buy porridge immediately. They will not be useful, because the grains are processed in a completely different way than porridge cooked for them at home, as a result, most of the useful elements are destroyed;
- Foods containing gelatin: mixed fish, mixed meat, jelly, pudding. Gelatin promotes the regeneration of cartilage cells due to its high content of collagen and chondroitin;
- Any fruit and vegetable because it contains a lot of fiber. Greens, carrots, beans, celery, radishes and cauliflower are especially useful;
- Steamed or steamed meat and fish, especially when combined with vegetables;
- sprouted wheat;
- Hazelnuts: hazelnuts, pine nuts and almonds.
It is recommended to consume two glasses of mineral water a day for better assimilation of healthy foods.
Go to the list of harmful products:
- Salt and spices. They cannot be completely eliminated from the diet, but it is worth limiting their use to combat joint diseases. This rule does not apply to turmeric: its use, on the contrary, is considered useful. Turmeric has been shown to have a positive effect on cartilage tissue, helping it to grow and regenerate;
- Any fatty, smoked and salty foods;
- Semi-finished products;
- Fast food and carbonated drinks;
- Alcoholic beverages: even small amounts of alcohol slow down metabolic processes, which negatively affects the regeneration process;
- Confectionery and flour products. They are loaded with simple carbohydrates that can cause weight gain. As mentioned above, the extra pounds create an extra burden on weakened joints with osteoarthritis;
- Coffee. This drink can be consumed, but in small amounts, otherwise calcium will be washed out of the body;
- Peppers, cabbage and tomatoes, which bind collagen and prevent the regeneration and growth of cartilage tissue;
- Citrus and Cherry. Due to the high content of acids, it has a negative effect on bone structure.
Remember to drink enough water to get the most out of this diet: at least 1. 5 liters a day. The daily caloric intake should not exceed 3, 000 and the meal should be at room temperature, which is never hot.
Remember that the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee is a long time, and how successful it will be depends on your willingness to perform all the necessary procedures regularly and follow a diet.
Consult your doctor regularly, listen to his advice, and at the same time using folk remedies for osteoarthritis of the knee joint, you can make significant progress in the fight against this disease.