Folk remedies for osteoarthritis - step-by-step recipes for infusions, decoctions, compresses and ointments with photos

If there are long-term problems with the nutrition of the joints, changes in the cartilage tissue begin and osteoarthritis occurs. This disease is the most common form of joint damage that severely affects the quality of life and leads to complete disability. It cannot only occur in the elderly, so the topic of prevention and treatment is relevant to everyone. Will folk remedies help with this, and which ones are worth using?

What is osteoarthritis?

Degenerative-dystrophic diseases of the joints, in which the cartilage tissue on its surface loses its elasticity, is worn out - this is how doctors define osteoarthritis. Alternative name of the disease: Arthrosis (possibly write "Osteoarthritis deformans"). This term can include several diseases with a similar outcome but different etiology (origin), in which the pathology affects all parts of the joint:

• Articular cartilage;
• Ribbons;
• Joint capsule;
• Synovial;
• subchondral bone;
• periarticular muscles.

Osteoarthritis is caused by a variety of biological and mechanical causes that contribute to the destruction of cartilage tissue: excessive physical activity, trauma, metabolic disorders, poor diet, infectious diseases, obesity. The knee, ankle and hip joints are particularly affected, as they are subjected to maximum stress, and less often the lumbar zone, elbows, neck, phalanxes. Osteoarthritis can affect 1 joint (localized form) or several (generalized polyosteoarthritis). General symptoms:

• Pain in the affected joint (at first only during physical exertion, at the end of the day, after - and at rest);
• Stiffness in the morning (lasts up to half an hour);
• decreased mobility of the joints.

The clinical picture of osteoarthritis depends on the stage of development: In the initial stage there are no morphological changes (in the structure) of the joint - only the synovial fluid is affected, the symptoms are smoothed out. After physical exertion, pain may occur, which disappears with rest. As osteoarthritis progresses, the process of destruction of cartilage and meniscus begins, the following signs appear:

• dense thickening along the edges of the joint space;
• painful points;
• Pain and restricted movement (contracture);
• common instability;
• chronic inflammation;
• Deformation caused by bone growth (osteophytes).

Treatment of osteoarthritis with folk remedies at home

The fight against this disease is always protracted, treatment is mainly carried out on an outpatient basis (at home). It is important to follow an integrated approach to the elimination of the problem: to limit the load on the sore joints, adhere to a motor program, regularly perform therapeutic exercises (exercises are selected by a doctor) and massage. The goals of the therapy regime for osteoarthritis are:

• Preventing the development of contractures;
• Improve joint function;
• slow the progression of the disease.

Treatment of osteoarthritis with folk methods is aimed at the same tasks, and in addition, should get rid of unpleasant symptoms: pain, inflammation. Internal ingestion of decoctions and tinctures will help restore cartilage tissue in the initial stages of the disease, improve metabolic processes and blood circulation. When properly combined with other therapeutic methods, folk remedies for osteoarthritis can prevent the further development of the disease. Some important rules:

• Do not stop treatment if you feel any improvement: eliminating the cause is always long-term, and symptoms can go away within a week.
• Strictly adhere to the indicated dosages (even with folk remedies, you can go too far) and follow the treatment plan.
• Do not ignore the diet: without it, there is no point in taking folk remedies and making compresses, since diet is at the heart of the causes of osteoarthritis. Avoid salt, sugar, artificial additives, pay attention to a diet with plant-based foods, omega-3 fat sources (fish, olive oil) and pay attention to your body weight. Jelly, gelatin, aspic, cottage cheese, mild cheese are useful.
• Coordinate traditional methods of osteoarthritis treatment with your doctor, especially if the disease is not yet in its early stages or if you have many chronic diseases or suffer from allergies. When treating children, self-selection of therapy is prohibited.
• If side effects occur, discard the chosen remedy or method.

Compresses for osteoarthritis of the joints

Local treatment of degenerative-dystrophic processes includes the use of ointments, rubbing or compresses (applications, bandages). The latter are more effective at relieving pain and swelling, improving blood circulation, and can help nourish cartilage tissue (if the product is gelatin based). Compresses are hot, which is forbidden with an active inflammatory process, but they perfectly eliminate pain, and cold, which better eliminates edema. Effective folk remedies for osteoarthritis:

• Pour oatmeal (4 tablespoons) with boiling water (glass). Cook over low heat for 7-8 minutes to make a thick, slimy pulp. If there is too much water, add more oatmeal. The resulting mass must be cooled, laid out on gauze folded three times and used as a compress before going to bed. Be sure to cover it with cling film and secure with a bandage.
• Take fresh horseradish root, rub it finely without peeling it. Put double-folded gauze on top of the painful joint. You can hold the compress for 1-2 hours, apply - 2 times a day.

burdock

Popular folk remedies for compresses for musculoskeletal disorders are plant leaves, lightly kneaded so that the juice comes out. To do this, take cabbage, fern or burdock. The last option is not the cheapest for a city dweller because it requires a fresh leaf, but it is very effective and helps to quickly relieve swelling and pain. The principle of action is simple:

1. Bring a large amount of water (3-4 liters) to a boil in a saucepan.
2. Dip the washed burdock leaf there, hold it for exactly 30 seconds.
3. Treat the affected area with warm olive oil or honey (about 1-2 tablespoons, the exact amount depends on the size of the joint).
4. Put a scalded burdock leaf on top and secure it with a bandage for an hour. The procedure can be done daily until the pain and swelling are completely eliminated.

Cabbage

A simple and effective alternative treatment for osteoarthritis and arthritis is the use of cabbage compresses. They stop the inflammatory process, relieve edema by excreting fluid, have a beneficial effect on nutrient metabolism and reduce the severity of pain. Both whole cabbage leaves and the juice pressed from them are used for the process. The most effective recipes:

• Remove the leaf from the cabbage, wash it well, make several shallow incisions inside. Knock off with a hammer, apply to the affected joint if the veins are very thick. For more efficiency, you can grease the inside of the leaf with honey mixed with mustard powder (1 teaspoon each). Close with foil, fix with a bandage and a warm scarf. For the knee, it is worth using 2-3 sheets, for other areas - 1. Keep the compress for an hour, then if necessary, you can make a new one. 4–5 procedures per day may be performed, the duration of the treatment - until the patient feels better.
• Take 4-5 leaves from a head of cabbage, chop with a knife, memorize with your hands in a small glass container. Squeeze out the juice, soak it with a cheesecloth folded three times or a thick woolen cloth (always with a natural composition). Apply a compress to the sore area, cover with foil. Hold it for 1. 5-2 hours. The juice can be stored for up to 3 days, after which it is freshly prepared. The process is repeated 2-3 times a day. The course of treatment is not limited.

Alcohol and vodka tinctures

Universal folk remedies for osteoarthritis that can be used internally and externally are tinctures with alcohol or vodka. To prepare them, take saber, dandelion, elephant, lilac flowers, which have anti-inflammatory properties. They can also be used to make decoctions of water to drink when alcohol tinctures are not allowed. Particularly effective recipes:

• Take 2 tbsp. l. sabelnik, pour a glass of vodka. Keep the mixture in a cool place for 2 weeks. You need to drink the tincture in 1 tbsp. l. , which is diluted in 100 ml of warm water, before meals. In addition, it can be applied topically by gently massaging the joint for one minute twice a day. Treatment lasts for a month.
• Sort out 1 kg of rye grains (for a full therapeutic course), pour cold water (7 l). Simmer over medium heat, turn off the stove. When the broth has cooled, strain. Stir in liquid honey (1 kg), vodka (500 ml) and barberry root (3 teaspoons). Keep the tincture cold and dark for 3 weeks. Drink 3 tbsp. l. before meals until the product is used up.
• Grind peeled cloves of garlic (200 g), add alcohol (200 ml). Drain after 10 days, leave to rest for another 2 days. Take 3 drops, diluted in 100 ml of milk, morning and evening one hour after meals. Treatment lasts for a month.

Healing decoctions

A useful and simple folk remedy for osteoarthritis is a simple herbal tea made with fresh ginger, which improves blood circulation, relieves pain and inflammation. Simply rub in 2 cm of ginger root, a clove bud and 1 teaspoon. green tea. Everything is filled with hot (80 degrees) water, heated in a water bath for 10 minutes and infused for half an hour. Then add a teaspoon of honey here, drink the tea warm. The agent can be taken 1-2 times a day, the duration of treatment is not limited. In addition, the following decoctions are useful for osteoarthritis:

• Take dried bay leaves (10 g), pour boiling water (200 ml) and simmer for 10 minutes. Insist on wrapping the container with a towel for 5 hours. If possible, it is advisable to keep the broth in a warm oven and cook in a thick saucepan. Drink in small portions a day. Treatment lasts only 3 days, after a week's break, the course is repeated.
• Mix marigold flowers, nettle and birch leaves, pour 2 tbsp. l. half a liter of boiling water. Bring to the boil, allow to cool. Drink 100 ml before meals for half an hour 4 r / day for 3 weeks.

Ointments and rubs

If the joint affected by osteoarthritis is not inflamed, the skin is not reddened, the local temperature is not elevated, homemade rubs can be prepared to relieve the pain and normalize blood circulation. They are used during light massage: caressing, spiral movements, rubbing. They can be used up to 2 times a day, after which it is advisable to wrap the treated area with a woolen cloth. The course for a moderate course of osteoarthritis lasts 2-3 weeks. For such procedures, you can squeeze juice from aloe leaves, use warm honey or make a multi-component composition:

• Take 100 g of olive or other vegetable (sunflower, corn) oil, add a similar amount of propolis, which must be finely grated. Heat in a water bath until a homogeneous mass is formed (propolis should melt), allow to cool. Use the resulting product to rub into the osteoarthritis affected area 2 times a day until the unpleasant symptoms completely go away.
• Use a pestle to grind 20 g of Caucasian hellebore to a fine powder. Pour 20 ml of vegetable oil and a similar amount of liquid (you can warm) honey, add 5 g of mustard. Warm everything in a water bath (low heat), stir, let cool to room temperature. If the pain is severe, rub into the joints 2-3 r / day.
• Take equal amounts of birch buds, wild rosemary, maryin root, white lilac flowers, sweet clover, brew 1 tbsp. l. to catch a glass of boiling water. Insist on an hour. Melt 150 g of inner lard in a water bath, here add 50 ml of the infusion to get a thick paste. When the product has cooled, rub the affected area in the morning and evening.
• Beat 2 chicken eggs, add 2 teaspoons each. Ammonia and turpentine. Massage the affected joint with this mixture in the evening. The duration of treatment is 2 weeks.

bath

If the patient does not have diseases of the skin and cardiovascular system (especially high blood pressure), tumors, therapeutic baths can be taken to improve the condition of the musculoskeletal system. They contribute to general warming, stimulate cell renewal, strengthen the immune system, relieve swelling, pain, muscle hypertension, normalize blood circulation and resume mobility. The effect depends on the chosen product, which is added to the water. Traditional medicine for osteoarthritis recommends the use of:

• Sea-salt;
• Iodine;
• Needles;
• Hay dust;
• Turpentine;
• Herbal preparations;
• Mustard powder.

It is important that the water temperature is comfortable: 35-37 degrees, but exceptions are allowed for some folk recipes (temperature increase up to 40 degrees). The procedure is carried out for 10-30 minutes, depending on the agent used, with a frequency of 1 time in 2 days or less often - depending on portability. In order to achieve a noticeable result with osteoarthritis, the course should last a month (15 procedures), if necessary, it is repeated after a break: this should be discussed with the doctor.

With salt and pine

Baths, for which sea salt (1 kg) and fir branches (2-3 pcs. ) Are used, have a good effect on the musculoskeletal system. Also, to increase the warming effect, you can add:

• Honey (2 tbsp l. );
• Turpentine (1 teaspoon).

First, fir branches are placed in a bathtub and boiled over. After half an hour, sea salt, honey, turpentine are added here. The bath is filled with hot water. When it has cooled to 37 degrees, you can begin the procedure. The duration is 20 minutes and the course consists of 12 procedures. If there are no pine branches, you can use any needle oil (3-5 drops), but add it when the water starts to cool.

Herbal bath

Nettle, chamomile, calendula, St. John's wort are popular and effective herbs, on the basis of which you can prepare decoctions for therapeutic baths for osteoarthritis. They relieve pain and have a relaxing effect. These herbs are used individually or together. A couple of traditional medicine options:

• Mix equal parts marigold, St. John's wort and oregano. The resulting mixture in the amount of 3 tbsp. l. Pour a couple of glasses of boiling water. Let steep for an hour, pour into the bath. Due to the low concentration of the infusion, it is recommended to use it for local baths: to warm up the elbow joint, knee, ankle. The duration of the procedure is 10–20 minutes, the course consists of 10 sessions every other day.
• Take nettle, birch leaves, tansy flowers (the ratio is the same). Pour 100 g of the mixture with a liter of boiling water, leave for half an hour. Add to the finished bath and soak for 15 minutes. The procedures should be done every other day for 2 weeks.

Soda salt

In the event of injuries to the small joints of the hands and feet (phalangeal joint, wrist), these can be steamed in small baths. For them, such folk remedies for the treatment of osteoarthritis, such as needle and soda salt solutions, are used. The latter is a mixture of equal amounts of baking soda and sea salt, filled with hot (75-80 degrees) water. For 1 liter, take 1 tbsp. l. each product. The bath lasts 15 minutes and gently massages the osteoarthritis areas. After that, it is advisable to put on woolen socks or mittens. The process is repeated every other day for 3 weeks.