Currently, more and more people are trying to treat chronic degenerative-dystrophic joint pathology (osteoarthritis, osteoarthritis, spondylarthrosis, polyosteoarthrosis, etc. ) at home using traditional medicine. Nevertheless, as clinical practice shows, it is not worth switching exclusively to non-traditional treatment methods.
Quite successfully, they can be used as a supplement to the basic therapeutic course, but only after prior consultation with the attending physician. What methods of treating osteoarthritis of different localization can be used at home:
ethnoscience
How can osteoarthritis be treated with folk remedies? Quite often, patients with degenerative-dystrophic joint disease put compresses, rub ointments for osteoarthritis, rub the affected areas with tinctures, take a bath, drink decoction, etc. A few important points for those who need to treat osteoarthritis with folk remedies at home:
- The use of an alternative treatment method must first be agreed with the doctor. If you do not want to harm your health, do not ignore the opinion of a specialist.
- Many traditional medicine recipes are well known to physicians. They can easily tell you which ones will be most appropriate in your case.
- When preparing ointments, tinctures (tincture of cinquefoil), decoction and rubbing, use only high-quality raw materials, which today can be purchased at pharmacies or specialty stores. Do not buy ready-made medicine from folk medicine.
- Carefully read the composition of the medicine. You should not have an allergic reaction or hypersensitivity to any of its components.
- If side effects occur, stop using this medicine immediately and seek professional medical attention.
The use of traditional medicine for osteoarthritis is best combined with traditional treatment methods.
Compresses
Towards evening, almost every patient suffering from osteoarthritis develops swelling of the affected joints, and painful sensations intensify. Compresses will help cope with these unpleasant clinical manifestations of chronic rheumatic pathology. Among all the recipes, we list the most common:
- Leather compress. Clay and water are mixed until a homogeneous mass is formed. Then spread on cheesecloth or thin natural fabric. The compress should be placed on the inflamed joint. The duration of the procedure is 60-90 minutes. The compress can be repeated every day for a week.
- Compress based on cabbage and honey. It is considered as one of the most popular traditional medicine recipes as it does not require much effort to prepare and use. Take a few fresh cabbage leaves before going to bed. Lubricate one side of the leaf with honey and apply to the affected joint. To enclose the entire joint, we need about 3-4 cabbage leaves, smeared with honey. To increase efficiency, we also wrap the joint with polyethylene and woolen cloth. As a rule, the compress is put on all night. There are no special restrictions on the duration of the procedure.
- Oatmeal compress. Five tablespoons of oatmeal should be boiled for 7-8 minutes. To get a viscous porridge, take less water than with ordinary cooking. After cooking, the porridge must cool. Then we spread it on a dense fabric, wrap it and apply it on the joint. As with the previous recipe, you can wrap the top with polyethylene and a woolen cloth (such as a scarf) to increase efficiency.
- Kefir compress. Eggshells are thoroughly ground to a fine powder. Kefir is added and this mixture is stirred. Then it is wrapped in plain fabric. Apply on the affected joint. From above we wrap with polyethylene and a woolen scarf.
- Compress of chalk and dairy products. Sometimes chalk is used instead of the shell. As a rule, a type of chalk is used, which is used in school. Chalk is not suitable as it can irritate the skin. Dilute the powdered mixture with any dairy product, such as kefir, sour cream or yogurt. The mixture should be homogeneous but thick enough. Apply the joint while wrapping it with a plastic film on top. Usually a compress is applied at night.
- Horseradish compress. Finely chop the horseradish roots. We put them on a slow fire, but we try not to bring the water to a boil. We spread the steamed horseradish on a linen cloth. Then apply it on the affected joint. The duration of the procedure should be 2-3 hours.
- Significant relief brings the use of fresh fern leaves. From above, the joint can be wrapped with gauze or plastic wrap.
Many patients use regular vacuum jars as a folk remedy for osteoarthritis, which quite often has a positive effect.
Salver
In most cases, traditional methods of treating rheumatic pathology include the use of various medicinal ointments, creams and gels as topical therapy. Traditional medicine also uses drugs in the form of ointments. Natural herbs are usually used for their preparation. Here is an example of several recipes that can be used to treat osteoarthritis at home:
- Complex ointment. Three types of herbs of approx. 10 grams each: sweet clover, hops and St. John's wort. We mix all these herbs in 50 grams of Vaseline. We bring the ointment to a homogeneous state. It is necessary to lubricate the affected joints up to 3 times a day for 10 days.
- External agent based on celandine. Grind the leaves and stems of celandine. We need 3 tablespoons of this medicinal herb, which we place in a small container and add a glass of sunflower oil. It must be insisted for at least 2 weeks. After this period, the solution should be filtered. The resulting external agent can be applied to the affected area with massaging movements every day. The duration of the therapeutic course is about 25-30 days.
- Ointment from hellebore. Paint 20 grams of Caucasian hellebore. Then add a tablespoon of vegetable oil, honey and mustard powder. The resulting mixture is heated in a water bath and poured into a small container. According to patient reviews, the ointment is quite effective for pain in the small joints of the arms and legs.
- External agent based on hop cones. We mix hop cones and medicinal Vaseline in a ratio of 1: 4. It is recommended to use it up to 3 times a day for 1-2 weeks.
Treating osteoarthritis with folk remedies at home is not able to completely relieve you of the disease, but it is quite possible to reduce clinical symptoms such as pain, swelling and inflammation.
Means for rubbing joints
In both inflammatory and degenerative-dystrophic diseases of the joints, various types of folk remedies for rubbing are widely used. To date, these recipes are represented quite a bit. Let's dwell on the most effective:
- Dandelion tincture. You should get a small tub made of opaque glass. About half of the bottle is filled with dandelion heads. Then pour vodka into it. For the recipe to be effective, the liquid must be infused for at least 30 days. After the required period, the contents of the bottle are filtered. Use the resulting tincture of dandelions to rub the affected joints before going to bed.
- Infusion of angelica. To prepare this infusion, use a tablespoon of medicinal herb angelica, which we pour into a glass of warm water. Let the liquid soak for 20 minutes. Then it is necessary to load and the infusion can be used as a rub for the affected joints. Many times - 3 times a day for 2 weeks.
- Zoster tincture. To prepare a sea buckthorn tincture, use 5 tablespoons of a medicinal plant and half a liter of vodka. Insist for 10-12 days. As time passes, the liquid must be filtered. Apply tincture of joster to rub the joints twice a day for a week.
- Complex rubbing. In equal parts we take honey, glycerin, iodine solution and alcohol. If there is no alcohol, you can take vodka or natural fruit vinegar. Mix all these components thoroughly and let it soak for two hours. This rubbing is very effective in relieving pain.
- Medical collection for rubbing. We take the following types of plants in a tablespoon: eucalyptus, needles, hyssop and chamomile. Fill the medicine collection with vegetable oil. Corn or olive oil is also sometimes used. It is recommended to insist for about a day. Apply this rub twice a day. In addition, it can be used as a lubricant for massage.
- Rubbing based on propolis. A small amount of propolis should be melted (about 70-100 grams). Add sunflower oil. Then cool the mixture and rub into the area of the affected joint when pain occurs.
Without the approval of the attending physician, it is not recommended to treat osteoarthritis using various folk remedies at home.
Therapeutic baths
Almost always, balneotherapy is prescribed to treat most degenerative-dystrophic diseases of the musculoskeletal system. It should be noted that in folk medicine, this therapeutic method is also very widespread. Some popular recipes that help with osteoarthritis:
- Mustard bath. We need about 150 grams of mustard powder, which must be diluted in 2-3 liters of warm water. When diluting mustard powder, be careful to make sure there are no lumps left. Pour the resulting mixture into a standard bath that you plan to take. The duration of the procedure is 15-20 minutes. After taking a therapeutic bath, we wash off the remnants of the mustard mixture under the shower, put on warm pajamas and lie down under the duvets.
- Bath with mint. For the preparation of this bath is used dry mint grass, collected during the flowering period. Mint is poured into a small saucepan or iron bucket and poured with water in a ratio of 1: 3. The solution is then boiled for 20 minutes. In addition, insist after cooking for about half an hour. Then pour the mint solution into the bath. The duration of the bath is determined individually. It is necessary that the body steamed out. Then wipe and put on warm clothes.
- Medical bath. Take three tablespoons of St. John's wort, oregano, calendula, nettle and burdock root. They insist separately in a small container of warm water for an hour. Then pour the herb infusion into the bath. The bathing procedure should not exceed 20 minutes.
Urgent request - if you decide to supplement the traditional treatment of osteoarthritis with various traditional medicines, you should first consult your doctor, who will help you choose the most optimal drugs and methods for their use.