Currently, more and more people are trying to treat chronic degenerative-dystrophic joint pathology (osteoarthritis, osteoarthritis, spondylosis, polyosteoarthritis, etc. ) at home using traditional medicine. However, clinical experience shows that it is not worth switching to non-traditional treatments alone.
Very successfully, they can be used in addition to the main therapeutic course, but only after prior consultation with the attending physician. What methods can be used to treat osteoarthritis of various localizations at home:
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How to treat osteoarthritis with folk remedies? Patients with degenerative-dystrophic diseases of the joints often apply compresses, apply ointments for osteoarthritis, rub the affected areas with tinctures, take a bath, drink decoctions, etc. :
- The use of any alternative therapy should be agreed with your doctor. If you do not want to harm your health, do not ignore the opinion of an expert.
- Many traditional medical prescriptions are well known to doctors. They can easily tell you which one is best for your situation.
- When preparing ointments, tinctures (cinquefoil tincture), decoctions and rubs, use high-quality raw materials that can be purchased only today in pharmacies or specialty stores. Do not buy ready-made medicines from folk medicine.
- Carefully read the composition of the drug. There should be no allergic reaction or hypersensitivity to any of its components.
- If side effects occur, you should stop using this drug immediately and consult a professional doctor.
The use of traditional medicine for osteoarthritis is best combined with traditional treatments.
Compresses
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Towards evening, almost every patient suffering from osteoarthritis develops swelling of the affected joints and the pain intensifies. Compresses will help to cope with these unpleasant clinical manifestations of chronic rheumatic pathology. Here are the most common of all recipes:
- Clay compresses. The clay and water are mixed until a homogeneous mass is formed. Then spread on gauze or a thin natural cloth. The compress should be applied to 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 one of the most popular traditional medicine recipes, because it does not require much effort to prepare and use. Take a few fresh cabbage leaves before bed. Lubricate one side of the leaf with honey and apply to the affected joint. To cover the whole compound, we need about 3-4 cabbage leaves pre-greased with honey. To increase efficiency, we additionally cover the joint with polyethylene and wool fabric. As a rule, the compress is applied all night. There are no special restrictions on the duration of the procedure.
- Oatmeal compress. Boil five tablespoons of oatmeal for 7-8 minutes. You need to take less water than a standard meal to get a viscous porridge. After cooking, the porridge should cool. Then we spread it on a tight cloth, wrap it and apply to the joint. As in the previous recipe, you can wrap the top with polyethylene and a woolen cloth (for example, a scarf) to increase efficiency.
- Kefir compress. Eggshells are made into a fine powder. Kefir is added and this mixture is mixed. Then it is wrapped in an ordinary piece. Apply to affected joint. Wrap the top with polyethylene and a woolen scarf.
- Compress from chalk and dairy products. Sometimes chalk is used instead of bark. As a rule, a kind of chalk is used in school. Chalk is not suitable as it can irritate the skin. Dilute the powder mixture with any dairy products such as kefir, sour cream or yogurt. The mixture should be homogeneous, but thick enough. Apply to the joint while wrapping it with a plastic film. Compresses are usually applied at night.
- Horseradish compress. Finely chop the horseradish roots. We put them on a slow fire, but try not to boil the water. Spread on steamed horseradish linen cloth. It is then applied to the affected joint. The duration of the procedure should be 2-3 hours.
- Significant relief brings the application of fresh fern leaves. From above, the joint can be wrapped with gauze or plastic wrap.
Many patients use ordinary vacuum containers as a folk remedy for osteoarthritis, which often has a positive effect.
Ointments
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In most cases, traditional methods of treatment of 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. Each of the three types of herbs takes about 10 grams: 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. Affected joints should be lubricated up to 3 times a day for 10 days.
- External agent based on celandine. Chop the celandine leaves and stems. We need 3 tablespoons of this herb, which we place in a small container and add a glass of sunflower oil. It should be insisted for at least 2 weeks. After this time, the solution should be filtered. The resulting external agent can be applied to the affected area daily with massage movements. The duration of the therapeutic course is about 25-30 days.
- Ointment from blackberries. Chop 20 grams of Caucasian locust. 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 patients, the ointment is very effective for pain in the small joints of the arms and legs.
- External agent based on hop cones. Mix hop cones and medical vaseline in a ratio of 1: 4. It is recommended to use up to 3 times a day for 1-2 weeks.
Treatment of osteoarthritis at home with folk remedies is not able to completely cure you of the disease, but it is quite possible to reduce clinical symptoms such as pain, swelling and inflammation.
Means for rubbing joints
Different types of folk remedies are widely used for friction in both inflammatory and degenerative-dystrophic diseases of the joints. To date, these recipes are quite representative. Let's focus on the most effective ones:
- Dandelion tincture. You should buy a small dish made of opaque glass. About half of the bottle is filled with dandelion heads. After that, vodka is poured into it. For the recipe to be effective, the liquid must be infused for at least 30 days. After the required time, the contents of the bottle are filtered. Use the resulting dandelion tincture to rub the affected joints before bedtime.
- Angelica infusion. To prepare this infusion, you need a teaspoon of the herb angelica, which we pour into a glass of boiling water. Allow the liquid to infuse for 20 minutes. Then it should be filtered and the infusion can be used as a rub on the affected joints. Frequency of use - 3 times a day for 2 weeks.
- Zoster tincture. To prepare the tincture of sea buckthorn need 5 tablespoons of herbs and half a liter of vodka. Insist 10-12 days. When the time is up, the liquid should be filtered. Apply joster tincture to rub the joints twice a day for a week.
- Complex lubrication. We take honey, glycerin, iodine solution and alcohol in equal parts. If you do not have alcohol, you can take vodka or natural fruit vinegar. Mix all these components well and infuse for two hours. This rub is very effective in relieving pain.
- Medicine collection for friction. In one spoon we take the following types of herbs: 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 ointment twice a day. In addition, it can be used as a lubricant for massage.
- Propolis-based friction. A small amount of propolis should be melted (about 70-100 grams). Add sunflower oil. Then cool the mixture and rub it on the affected joint area in case of pain.
It is not recommended to treat osteoarthritis at home using various folk remedies without the permission of the attending physician.
Therapeutic baths
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Balneotherapy is almost always prescribed for the treatment of most degenerative-dystrophic diseases of the musculoskeletal system. It should be noted that this method of treatment is widely used in folk medicine. Here are some popular recipes that help with osteoarthritis:
- Mustard bath. We will need about 150 grams of mustard powder, which should be diluted in 2-3 liters of warm water. When diluting mustard powder, care should be taken to ensure that no lumps remain. 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 the remnants of the mustard mixture in the shower, put on warm pajamas and lie down under the blankets.
- Bath with mint. To prepare this bath, dried mint grass collected during flowering is used. Mint is poured into a small pot or iron bucket and poured with water in a ratio of 1: 3. Then the solution is boiled for 20 minutes. In addition, insist about half an hour after boiling. Then pour the mint solution into the bath. The duration of the bath is determined individually. The body needs to evaporate. After that, dry and wear warm clothes.
- Medicinal bath. Take three tablespoons of St. John's wort, oregano, calendula, nettle and burdock root. They insist in a small bowl with hot water for an hour separately. Then pour the herbal infusion into the bath. The bath procedure should not take more than 20 minutes.
Urgent treatment - If you decide to complete the traditional treatment of osteoarthritis with a variety of traditional medicine, first consult with your doctor, who will help you choose the most optimal medication and methods of their use.