One of the most common joint diseases is osteoarthritis. This disease mainly affects the elderly.
What is knee osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that is associated with the gradual destruction of cartilage within the joint. The patient feels severe pain in the joints, mobility is limited. Such people find it difficult to move and find it difficult to do standard household chores. When cartilage wears out, the joint loses its ability to move.
The main symptom is pain during certain activities:
- When walking up the stairs.
- When lifting a load.
- While squatting.
- If you suddenly stop after a long walk.
The pain may worsen before bedtime, and knee swelling occurs at night. There may also be an accumulation of fluid in the joint.
Treatment at home
The consequence of complex treatment of osteoarthritis should be permanent remission. Complex arthrosis therapy combines treatment with therapeutic exercises and physiotherapy.
The goal of arthrosis treatment is to eliminate the pain syndrome, and then the subsequent activation of cartilage tissue regeneration. During this period, drugs that contain chondroitin and glucosamine will be of great help. These drugs can be used in the form of tablets, ointments, sprays. The duration of treatment can last a very long time, up to a year.
During the exercise, movements are performed that do not damage the cartilage tissue, but help recovery.
All of the above helps only in the first stage of osteoarthritis. In the second and third phase, surgical intervention is needed.
Medical treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee at home includes:
- Painkillers. Painkillers: tablets, ointments, sprays. Anesthetic tablets may also be used.
- Muscle relaxants. Medications that promote muscle relaxation reduce cramps.
- Chondroprotectors - "protectors of cartilage". These drugs are the basis for the treatment of osteoarthritis.
All medications must be prescribed by a doctor, they should not be taken without a prescription, all have contraindications.
Therapeutic exercises
Exercises should be chosen by an orthopedist, who will build on the specifics of the disease. The most effective exercises for osteoarthritis:
- Lie on your back, straighten your legs and relax. Exercise relieves stress, strengthens pelvic floor muscles. Increases blood flow to the knee joint.
- Lie on your back, lift your legs perpendicular to your body and press firmly on the floor. Move your legs in the air, imitating cycling.
- Lie on your stomach, alternately turning your knees. This exercise strengthens the leg muscles, activating metabolic processes in the knee joints.
- The person sits on a chair and raises his legs parallel to the floor. Thus the blood rises to the knees, improving the regeneration of tissues in the joints.
A positive result from the above exercises will be if you do them regularly. Preferably 15 minutes a day, alternating with massage, physiotherapy.
To be able to do various sports, running, walking, it is better to use an orthopedic knee brace, which reduces the load on the knee joint, treats osteoarthritis - warms it, has a magnetic pad that improves blood circulation. This is a necessary purchase for osteoarthritis of the knee.
For any osteoarthritis, you need to change your lifestyle and diet. In order for the treatment to be effective, sugar, alcoholic beverages, spicy and fatty foods, and chemical additives must be excluded from the menu. It is not recommended to starve, so as not to disrupt the supply of food to the joint cells.
Folk methods of treatment
The most common folk remedies for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee:
- Applying chalk and kefir. From these components it is necessary to make a homogeneous mass, which is applied and fixed to the knee overnight.
- Applying oatmeal - prepare oatmeal and apply on the foot at night.
- Strawberry decoction. In this case, strawberry leaves are used, preferably in dried form. First of all, the leaves should be chopped. Then pour them into boiling water and cook for 20 minutes. It is recommended to take this medicine during the day, instead of water.
- Hop. Take 2 tablespoons of hops and mix them with 50 g of vegetable oil. Use as a poultice.
- Mix 1 tablespoon of mustard, 1 tablespoon of honey and 1 tablespoon of olive oil, boil everything (at least 5 minutes) and apply on the affected joints for two hours.
- Anesthesia is a tincture of agave leaves and alcohol in a ratio of 1: 10. Put this mixture in the refrigerator for a month. Use 20-30 drops in the morning, afternoon and evening.
- Burdock has performed very well among other herbs in the treatment of osteoarthritis. Take 6 freshly plucked burdock leaves, velvety side down. Pour a heavy bowl of boiled water. After 30 minutes the leaves can be used. The affected area is smeared with vegetable oil and burdock leaves are applied to it and wrapped in foil.
- Use of dandelions Freshly picked dandelion flowers rinse with cold water and chew, regardless of their unpleasant taste. At least 4 flowers should be eaten daily. Dried dandelion leaves can also be used as food.
- You can put a sea salt compress on your sore knee. If the salt is ready at the right time, you can replace it with ordinary sand, which is heated before use and wrapped in a towel. This tool helps fight swelling.
Use of horseradish
Rhubarb leaves and roots are rich in vitamins, natural phytoncides, minerals and essential oils. So, how to treat osteoarthritis with horseradish:
- Cut and cook the root. The resulting suspension is applied to the gauze and fixed to the knee. Put the fabric on top and leave the compression for half an hour. You can do this every day.
- Mix horseradish and apple cider vinegar in equal proportions, add a little linseed oil and apply on the sore joint. Cover with cellophane and hold for 30 minutes. Repeat the procedure every other day.
- Fry the horseradish, then mix it with the same amount of yogurt. Apply the resulting mass on the problem area and cover with cling film. Hold for 30-40 minutes, then rinse with warm water. To achieve the maximum result, it is necessary to perform at least 7 procedures.