Osteoarthritis of the knee joint occurs in one in five Europeans.Experts estimate that only 40 percent of cases of degenerative arthritis of arthrosis are a consequence of aging.In the remaining 60 percent, it is due to overwork, injury and physical inactivity.Thus, knee disease is the price we pay for our lifestyle.
Degenerative changes in the knee joints (arthrosis and arthritis) develop slowly and gradually progress, destroying the cartilage.At the same time, there are several forms of this disease.Thus, post-traumatic arthritis with arthrosis appears after all types of knee injuries, such as sprained ligaments, knee injuries, meniscus injuries, etc.In many cases, the disease is caused by changes in the skeletal system of the muscles of the lower extremities or the spine, which leads to improper distribution of the load on the knee joint.A common cause of arthrosis is overweight and obesity.In elderly people, the destruction of the knee joint is explained by the natural aging of the body and endocrine disorders: hypothyroidism, acromegaly, systemic diseases such as diabetes mellitus and chronic inflammatory arthritis and other diseases of the musculoskeletal system (rheumatoid arthritis and gout).
Symptoms
Initially, the symptoms of arthrosis of the knee joint are very weak, so the patient does not pay attention.You should be careful if you notice such phenomena as:
- limited joint mobility after getting out of bed;
- pain when trying to sit;
- difficulty in directing the leg;
- swelling and heat in the knee joints after exercise;
- crackling in the joints.
As osteoarthritis progresses, the arthritis interferes with normal walking.A person experiences pain when trying to sit down, stand up or simply move.However, if you start treatment in time, you can restore the functionality of the knee joint.
Joint exercises
Special exercises that must be done regularly help to overcome arthrosis of the knee joints.They stimulate blood flow to the knees, due to which the cartilage tissue begins to recover.Watch out!If you have post-traumatic arthritis, you should consult a traumatologist before performing exercises.
- After waking up, without getting out of bed, slowly do the "bicycle" exercise.The range of motion of the legs should be maximum.
- The next exercise against arthrosis is also performed in a lying position.Bend one leg at the knee and straighten the other, pulling the toes towards you as much as possible.Switch legs.Repeat the movements several times.
- Throughout the day, it is beneficial for the health of the knee to do this simple exercise: sit on the floor, put a support under the heels, keeping the legs horizontal.Then, without bending your knees, you need to pull your toes towards you.Repeat several times.
- While sitting in a chair at the office or at home, stretch your legs forward so that your knees are as straight as possible.Pull your toes toward you.This exercise should be done as often as possible, and you will forget what arthrosis arthritis is.
Experts note: with regular physical activity, the symptoms of knee joint disease are significantly reduced or disappear altogether.On the Internet you can find many videos with useful exercises.
Treatment
During the treatment of arthrosis of the knee joint, all kinds of home methods are used - cold and hot compresses, wraps, ointments.Proper diet plays an important role.If you add some simple foods to your diet, you can quickly cure osteoarthritis of the knee joint without spending large sums of money.How to do this - read below.
Cold compresses
Ice packs are recommended when pain is accompanied by knee joint swelling and overheating.Squeeze your legs tightly, apply ice packs to them and place your feet on an elevated surface.You should not move your lower limbs for half an hour.Ice has an anti-inflammatory effect and quickly brings relief.However, it only helps in the early stages of arthrosis.
Warm compresses
When treating arthrosis of the knee joint, warm compresses are used only when there is no swelling.Before physical training, it reduces pain.But you must be careful to avoid burning or irritating your skin.
Essential oils
Essential oils have properties that can help relieve knee pain when used on the skin.Many essential oils have analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects.
Essential oils contain not only aromatic compounds, but also chemical compounds that are very beneficial for joints.Among the latter are terpenoids and terpenes, hydrocarbons and aldehydes, organic acids, amines.All of them have anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic and regenerative effects.Entering the skin through friction, they hydrate the joint, which is especially important in conditions of lack of synovial fluid.
If osteoarthritis is bothering you, seek help from the healing power of essential oils.To do this, it is recommended to make a simple homemade ointment: add a few drops of the selected oil to ordinary petroleum jelly and mix the product.
How to choose essential oil against joint arthrosis?Focus on your symptoms.
So, peppermint oil will relieve your pain and cool your knees a little, rosemary oil will improve blood circulation (that is, it should be used in cases where arthrosis is caused by a sedentary lifestyle), and lavender oil helps to relieve inflammation.
It is also important not to make mistakes when buying essential oils.How to distinguish a quality product from a fake - look for videos on this topic on the Internet.
Hirudotherapy
Treatment with leeches (hirudotherapy) gives amazing results for diseases of the knee joints (arthrosis, arthritis, bursitis, etc.).The thing is that leeches thin the blood, improve blood circulation and remove all blockages.They will help in any case, regardless of the type of arthrosis you have: post-traumatic, senile, etc.Leeches should be applied near the knee, avoiding large arteries.There is a break of 4-7 days between the procedures.In total, your treatment will take 3-5 hirudotherapy sessions.There are many videos on the Internet on how to properly treat leeches.
Wraps with honey
Honey wraps help reduce knee pain and treat osteoarthritis in its early stages.Simply lubricate the affected areas with natural honey and apply a loose honey bandage on top.This procedure is recommended to be performed at night.Continue the treatment until the arthrosis of the joints disappears completely.
Comfrey ends
To treat arthrosis of the knee joint with folk remedies, comfrey is often used, as this plant strengthens the cartilage tissue and helps to build it in case of degenerative changes in the joint.Melt 200 g of pork fat (lard) in a water bath, add 2 tablespoons of chopped comfrey and boil for 5 minutes on low heat.After cooling, pour the resulting medicine into a glass container and store in the refrigerator.To get rid of arthrosis, lubricate the knees with comfrey at night and put a bandage on top.
Sliding Elm cover
Slippery elm is an excellent folk remedy for osteoarthritis of the knee joint.From it you can prepare ointments according to the recipe we gave above (200 g lard + 2 tablespoons of crushed slippery elm bark).Do the wraps every evening until the arthrosis or arthritis is completely gone.
Harpagophytum
The harpagophytum plant is popularly called "devil's claw".It is successfully used in the treatment of arthrosis of the knee joints, as well as other degenerative diseases (such as arthritis, osteoporosis, etc.).Recipe: 2 tablespoons of dried harpagophytum roots should be put in a thermos, pour 1 liter of boiling water and leave for at least 2 hours.To successfully treat arthrosis, you need to drink 3-4 glasses of the resulting medicine in a warm form per day.
Bishofite salt
Bichofite salt is a unique natural product that was formed millions of years ago as a result of climate change - the evaporation of sea water and the enrichment of salt with deposits of uncontaminated microelements.It helps to cure any arthrosis and arthritis, even post-traumatic (there are many videos on the Internet about the healing properties of this drug).It is enough to make yourself warm baths every two days, in which 1 glass of bischofite salt is dissolved.Continue the treatment until the arthrosis and arthritis have completely disappeared.
Massage for sore knees
During the treatment for arthrosis of the knee joints, do not forget to massage regularly.It is recommended to lubricate the skin with a mixture of olive oil and lavender.Try to relax your legs, grasp the knee cap with your hands and move a little left and right and back and forth.Pain relief occurs almost immediately.
Ginger
Ginger has long been used to treat stomach ailments.Scientists have recently discovered that this product also relieves knee pain, reducing the symptoms of osteoarthritis of the joints.In a study of 261 patients with moderate to severe knee pain, ginger was shown to reduce pain while walking and standing.Therefore, include this spice in your daily diet and you will forget what arthrosis or joint arthritis is.
We will also show you how to make compresses from ginger.Grind the root of the plant on a grater so that you get about 2 tablespoons of raw material.Add the juice of a small onion, mix well and apply a thick layer to the area of the injured joints.Cover the top with film and secure with a bandage.This compress for arthrosis should be kept for at least 3 hours, but it is better to do it all night.Repeat the treatment every 2-3 days until the unpleasant symptoms disappear completely.
Turmeric
You will be surprised, but turmeric is the most popular folk remedy for osteoarthritis of the knee in India.Adding this spice to your diet can do wonders as turmeric contains the enzyme curcumin, which has anti-inflammatory properties.Canadian scientists conducted animal studies and found that curcumin reduces joint inflammation by inhibiting the enzyme that causes the condition.There is only one conclusion: if you want to treat arthrosis and arthritis, add turmeric to your daily menu.
Turpentine
Turpentine has long been used in the treatment of knee arthrosis.It also helps fight sciatica and arthritis.How to apply it?Rub the joint area with turpentine at night, put on a warm bandage and go to bed.The next morning you will find that the arthrosis is no longer bothering you.
Heating compress
Here is another recipe for a warm compress for arthrosis.Mix 100 ml of pure alcohol with 50 g of mustard powder, 50 g of gasoline and 50 g of camphor.Beat the whites of two or three eggs separately and combine all the ingredients together.The resulting ointment should be lubricated in places where there is arthrosis or arthritis of the joints at night.Continue treatment until complete relief of the disease.
Bath with pine trees
Arthrosis and arthritis of the joints can also be treated with pine baths.How are they made?Boil 1 liter of young cut conifer branches on low heat for 5-7 minutes, pour the juice into the bath and dilute with warm water.The duration of the procedure is 15 minutes.After the bath, do not rub yourself with a towel - just dry your body.
Dandelion flower
And now we will tell you how to treat arthrosis of the knee joint with the help of dandelions.Everything is simple here: in the spring, when dandelions bloom, you need to pick 3-4 flowers a day, rinse under running water and then chew thoroughly.The taste is not very pleasant, but what can you not do to treat osteoarthritis?
But for the winter, prepare an alcohol solution from dandelion flowers: to do this, you need to fill them whole with pure alcohol and store them in a cool and dark place for 1 month, then strain them.Once the arthritis starts to get the better of you, rub your knees with this alcohol solution.