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

With long-term problems with the nutrition of the joints, changes begin in the cartilage tissue, and osteoarthritis develops. This disease is the most common form of joint damage, drastically affecting the quality of life and leading to complete disability. This can occur not only in an elderly person, therefore, the question of prevention and treatment is relevant for everyone. Do folk remedies help, and which ones are worth using?

What is osteoarthritis

Degenerative-dystrophic disease of the joints, in which the cartilage tissue on their surface loses elasticity, is worn out - this is the definition of osteoarthritis given by doctors. Alternative name of the disease: osteoarthritis (possibly by writing "deforming arthritis"). This term can cover several diseases with similar results, but a different etiology (origin), in which the pathology affects all parts of the joint:

• articular cartilage;
• ligaments;
• joint capsule;
• synovia;
• subchondral bone;
• periarticular muscles.

Osteoarthritis is caused by a large number of biological and mechanical causes that contribute to the destruction of cartilage tissue: excessive physical activity, trauma, metabolic disorders, poor diet, infectious diseases, overweight. The knee, ankle and hip joints are mainly affected, since the load on them is maximum, less often the lumbar area, elbows, neck, phalanges of the fingers are affected. Osteoarthritis can affect 1 joint (localized form) or several (generalized polyarthrosis). General symptoms:

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

The clinical picture of osteoarthritis depends on the stage of development: at 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. Pain can occur after physical exertion and go away 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;
• pain points;
• pain and limited movement (contracture);
• joint instability;
• chronic inflammation;
• deformation due to bone growths (osteophytes).

Treatment of osteoarthritis with folk remedies at home

The process of combating this disease is always long, the treatment being carried out mainly on an outpatient basis (at home). It is important to observe an integrated approach to eliminate the problem: limit the load on painful joints, observe an engine regime, regularly perform therapeutic exercises (exercises are selected by a doctor) and massage. The goals of the osteoarthritis treatment regimen are:

• prevent the development of contractures;
• improvement of joint function;
• slow the progression of the disease.

Treatment of osteoarthritis with traditional methods is aimed at performing the same tasks, and in addition, it should eliminate the unpleasant symptoms: pain, inflammation. The internal supply of decoctions and tinctures helps restore cartilage tissue to the initial stage 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. Several important rules:

• Do not stop treatment when you feel improvement: elimination of the root cause is always long term, and symptoms may disappear within a week.
• Strictly adhere to the indicated dosages (even with folk remedies you can go too far) and follow the schedule of procedures.
• Do not ignore diet: without it, there is no point in taking folk remedies and making compresses, because nutrition is at the heart of the causes of osteoarthritis. Eliminate salt, sugar, all artificial additives, pay attention to a diet based on plant foods, sources of omega-3 fatty acids (fish, olive oil) and watch your body weight. Jelly, gelatin, asp, cottage cheese, soft cheese will be useful.
• Coordinate traditional methods of treating osteoarthritis with your doctor, especially if the disease is not in the initial stages, or if you have a large number of chronic diseases, you have allergies. When treating children, self-selection of therapy is prohibited.
• If side effects appear, discard the remedy or method chosen.

Compresses for arthritis of the joints

Local treatment of degenerative-dystrophic processes involves the use of ointments, rubs or compresses (applications, dressings). These are more effective in relieving pain and swelling, improving blood circulation well, and can help nourish cartilage tissue (if the product is gelatin). Compresses are warm, which is prohibited with an active inflammatory process, but they perfectly eliminate pain, and cold, which better eliminates edema. Effective folk remedies for osteoarthritis:

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

Burdock

Folk remedies used for compresses for diseases of the musculoskeletal system are leaves of plants, which are lightly kneaded so that the juice comes out. For this, take cabbage, fern or burdock. The last option is not the most affordable for a city dweller, since a fresh leaf is necessary, but it is very effective, it 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 in it, hold for exactly 30 seconds.
3. Treat the affected area with warm olive oil or honey (about 1 to 2 tablespoons, the exact amount depends on the size of the joint).
4. Put a scalded burdock leaf on top, fix with a bandage for an hour. The procedure can be done daily until the pain and swelling are completely gone.

Cabbage

A simple and effective alternative treatment for osteoarthritis and arthritis involves the application of cabbage compresses. They stop the inflammatory process, relieve edema by excreting fluid, have a positive effect on nutrient metabolism and reduce the intensity of pain. For the procedure, both whole cabbage leaves and the juice extracted from them are used. The most effective recipes:

• Remove the leaf from the cabbage head, wash well, make several shallow notches inside. Hit with a hammer, if the veins are very thick, apply to the affected joint. For more efficiency, from the inside you can grease the leaf with honey mixed with mustard powder (1 teaspoon each). Close with foil, secure 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. It is allowed to do 4-5 procedures per day, the duration of treatment - until the patient feels better.
• Take 4-5 leaves from a head of cabbage, chop them with a knife, remember with your hands in a small glass container. Squeeze the juice, soak it with a gauze folded three times or a thick woolen cloth (always with a natural composition). Apply a compress to the painful area, cover with foil. Keep it for 1. 5-2 hours. The juice can be stored for up to 3 days, after which it is made fresh. The procedure is repeated 2-3 times a day. The duration of treatment is not limited.

Alcohol and vodka tinctures

Universal folk remedies for osteoarthritis, which can be used internally and externally, are tinctures based on alcohol or vodka. For their preparation take saber, dandelion, elecampane, lilac flowers, which have anti-inflammatory properties. They can also be used to prepare decoctions of water for drinking, if alcoholic 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 lukewarm water, before meals. In addition, it can be applied externally, gently massaging the joint for a minute, 2 times a day. The treatment lasts a month.
• Sort 1 kg of rye grains (for a complete therapeutic cure), pour in cold water (7 l). Simmer over medium heat, turn off the heat. When the broth has cooled, filter. Stir in liquid honey (1 kg), vodka (500 ml) and barberry root (3 tbsp. Keep the tincture in a cold and dark place for 3 weeks. Drink 3 tbsp. L. Beforemeals until exhaustion of the product.
• Grind the peeled garlic cloves (200 g), add alcohol (200 ml). After 10 days, drain, let stand 2 more days. Take 3 drops, diluted in 100 ml of milk, morning and evening, one hour after meals. The treatment lasts a month.

Healing decoctions

A simple and useful folk remedy for osteoarthritis is a simple herbal tea with fresh ginger, which improves blood circulation, reduces pain and inflammation. For this, it is enough to finely rub 2 cm of ginger root, add a clove bud and 1 tbsp. green tea. Everything is filled with hot water (80 degrees), heated for 10 minutes in a water bath, infused for half an hour. Then add a teaspoon of honey here, drink the hot tea. The agent can be taken daily 1-2 times, 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), simmer for 10 minutes. Insist, wrapping the container with a towel, for 5 hours. If possible, it is advisable to keep the broth in a hot oven, and cook it in a heavy saucepan. Drink in small portions per day. The treatment lasts only 3 days, after a week's break, the course is repeated.
• Mix calendula flowers, nettle and birch leaves, pour 2 tbsp. L. half a liter of boiling water. Boil, let cool. Drink 100 ml before meals for half an hour 4 r / day for 3 weeks.

Ointments and frictions

If the joint affected by osteoarthritis is not inflamed, the skin is not reddened, the local temperature is not high, a homemade rub can be prepared to reduce pain and normalize blood circulation. They are used during light massages: effleurages, 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 hot honey or prepare a multi-component composition:

• Take 100 g of olive oil or other vegetable oil (sunflower, corn), add a similar amount of propolis, which should be finely grated. Heat in a water bath to obtain a homogeneous mass (the propolis must melt), leave to cool. Use the resulting product to rub the area affected by osteoarthritis 2 times a day until the unpleasant symptoms disappear completely.
• Grind 20 g of Caucasian hellebore with a pestle until a fine powder is obtained. Pour 20 ml of vegetable oil and a similar amount of liquid honey (you can warm it), add 5 g of mustard. Heat everything in a double boiler (over low heat), stir, let cool to room temperature. Rub into the joints with severe pain 2-3 r / day.
• Take equal amounts of birch buds, wild rosemary, maryin root, white lilac flowers, sweet clover, infuse 1 tbsp. L. collect a glass of boiling water. Insist an hour. Melt 150 g of inner lard in a double boiler, add 50 ml of infusion here to obtain a thick paste. When the product has cooled, use to rub the affected area morning and night.
• Beat 2 chicken eggs, add 2 teaspoons each. ammonia and turpentine. In the evening, massage the affected joint with this mixture. The duration of treatment is 2 weeks.

Thermal baths

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

• sea salt;
• iodine;
• needles;
• hay dust;
• turpentine;
• herbal preparations;
• Mustard powder.

It is important that the water temperature is comfortable: 35-37 degrees, but for some folk recipes exceptions are allowed (temperature rise 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. 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 pine branches (2-3 pcs) are used, have a beneficial effect on the musculoskeletal system. In addition, to enhance the warming effect, you can add:

• honey (2 tbsp. l. );
• turpentine (1 teaspoon).

First, pine branches are placed in a tub and boiled. After half an hour, sea salt, honey, turpentine are added here. The bath is filled with hot water. When it cools down to 37 degrees, you can start the procedure. Its duration is 20 minutes, the course consists of 12 procedures. If there are no pine branches, you can take any coniferous essential 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 used for therapeutic baths for osteoarthritis. They relieve pain and have a relaxing effect. These herbs are used alone or together. Some options of traditional medicine:

• Mix calendula, St. John's wort and oregano in equal proportions. The resulting mixture in the amount of 3 tbsp. L. pour a few glasses of boiling water. Leave to infuse for an hour, pour into the bath. Given the low concentration of the infusion, it is recommended to use it for local baths: to warm the elbow, knee, ankle joint. 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 equal). Pour 100 g of the mixture with a liter of boiling water, leave for half an hour. Add to the finished bath and let soak for 15 minutes. The procedures should be performed for 2 weeks every other day.

Salt-soda

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