One of the most common joint diseases is osteoarthritis. The disease mainly affects the elderly.
What is osteoarthritis of the knee?
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease of the joints, which is associated with the gradual destruction of cartilage inside the joint. The patient has severe pain in the joints, limited mobility. Such people have difficulty moving on the ground and have difficulty performing standard household chores. As the cartilage wears out, the joint loses its ability to move.
The main symptom is pain during certain activities:
- While climbing the stairs.
- When lifting loads.
- While squatting.
- If you suddenly stop after a long walk.
The pain may worsen before bedtime, and swelling in the knee may occur at night. There may also be a buildup of fluid in the joint.
Home treatment
The result of complex treatment of osteoarthritis should be permanent remission. Complex treatment of osteoarthritis combines treatment with therapeutic exercises and physiotherapy.
The goal of osteoarthritis treatment is to relieve the pain syndrome and then activate the regeneration of cartilage tissue. Medications containing chondroitin and glucosamine will be very useful during this period. These drugs can be used in the form of tablets, ointments, sprays. The duration of treatment is very long, up to a year.
During exercise, actions are performed that do not damage the cartilage tissue, but help to recover.
All of the above only help in the early stages of osteoarthritis. The second and third stages require surgery.
Medical treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee joint at home includes:
- Painkillers. Painkillers: tablets, ointments, sprays. Anesthetic tablets can also be used.
- Muscle relaxants. Medications that promote muscle relaxation reduce spasms.
- Chondroprotectors - "cartilage protectors". These drugs are the basis for the treatment of osteoarthritis.
All medications must be prescribed by a doctor, you should not take them without a prescription, they all have contraindications.
Therapeutic exercises
Exercises should be selected by an orthopedist based on the characteristics of the disease. The most effective exercises for osteoarthritis:
- Lie on your back, straighten your legs and relax. Exercise relieves stress, strengthens pelvic muscles. Increases blood flow to the knee joint.
- Lie on your back, lift your legs perpendicular to your body and bury them firmly on the ground. Move your feet in the air, imitating cycling.
- Lie on your stomach, turn your knees in turn. This exercise strengthens the muscles of the legs, activates metabolic processes in the knee joints.
- A man sits in a chair and raises his legs parallel to the floor. Thus, the blood rises to the knees, and the regeneration of tissues in the joints improves.
The positive result of the above exercises is that you can do them regularly. Preferably 15 minutes daily, alternating with massage, physiotherapy.
For various sports, running, walking, it is better to use an orthopedic knee pad with a magnetic pad that reduces the load on the knee joint, treats osteoarthritis - warms it, strengthens blood circulation. This is a necessary purchase for osteoarthritis of the knee joint.
For any osteoarthritis, you need to change your lifestyle and diet. For the treatment to be effective, sugar, alcohol, spicy and fatty foods, and chemical additives must be removed from the menu. It is not recommended to starve in order not to disrupt the supply of nutrients to the joint cells.
Folk remedies
The most common folk remedies for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee joint:
- Application of chalk and kefir. These components need to be made into a homogeneous mass that is applied to the knee for the night and fixed.
- Oatmeal application - Prepare oatmeal and apply on your feet at night.
- Strawberry decoction. In this case, strawberry leaves are used, preferably in dried form. First you need to chop the leaves. Then pour them into boiling water and cook for 20 minutes. It is recommended to take this remedy during the day instead of water.
- Hop. Take 2 tablespoons of hops and mix with 50 g of vegetable oil. Use as a compress.
- Mix 1 tablespoon of mustard, 1 tablespoon of honey and 1 tablespoon of olive oil, bring to a boil (at least 5 minutes) and apply to the damaged joints for two hours.
- A good anesthetic is a tincture of agave leaves and alcohol in a ratio of 1: 10. Infuse this mixture in the refrigerator for a month. Use 20-30 drops in the morning, afternoon and evening.
- Burdock has proven itself very well among other plants in the treatment of osteoarthritis. Take 6 freshly plucked burdock leaves, velvet side down. Pour a heavy pot of boiled water on top. The leaves can be used after 30 minutes. The affected area is lubricated with vegetable oil and covered with burdock leaves and wrapped in foil.
- Use of dandelions Freshly picked dandelion flowers should be washed and chewed with cold water, regardless of their unpleasant taste. You need to eat at least 4 flowers a day. Dried dandelion leaves can also be used as food.
- You can apply a compress with sea salt to the aching knee. If the salt runs out in time, you can replace it with ordinary sand, which is heated and wrapped in a towel before use. This tool helps to fight swelling.
Use of horseradish
Horseradish leaves and roots are rich in vitamins, natural phytonutrients, minerals and essential oils. So, how to treat osteoarthritis with horseradish:
- Cut the root and bring to a boil. The resulting suspension is applied to the wrap and fixed to the knee. Place the piece 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 rub into the aching joint. Cover with cellophane and leave for 30 minutes. Repeat the procedure every day.
- Fry the horseradish, then mix with the same amount of yogurt. Apply the resulting mass to the problem area and cover with adhesive film. Leave on for 30-40 minutes and then rinse with warm water. You need to perform at least 7 procedures to get the maximum result.