Arthrosis of the ankle joint most often develops with age, and older people are often interested in the question, what are its symptoms and is it possible to treat the disease at home?
Signs of the disease at each stage of development
Deforming arthrosis of the ankle joint is a gradual destruction of cartilage, which develops slowly in the primary form, that is, due to age-related changes, or acutely with sharp pain in the secondary form, which is the result of injuries.
The disease has three stages of development, each of which has its own characteristics.The following symptoms of degrees of arthrosis of the ankle joint are distinguished:
- In the first degree of the disease, pain, sometimes sharp, occurs after heavy loads on the joint, or when the leg is twisted unsuccessfully.Stiffness of movements and characteristic clicks appear when moving suddenly.
- The second degree is characterized by constant aching pain in the joint, accompanied by a feeling of instability of the foot.Seals begin to be felt - osteophytes - bone growths that deform the joint.The crunching becomes constant.
- At the last stage, the final destruction of the cartilage occurs with complete entry of the bone into the joint capsule.At this stage of the development of the disease, severe pain is felt, the ankle joint becomes denser due to bone growths, and the affected area may become swollen and red.
Of course, the obvious sign of ankle arthrosis is pain.Acute and sharp pain at the initial stage is replaced by a chronic pain syndrome.
Fact!Arthrosis can be cured at the initial stage of development of the disease.Sometimes it is enough to use only unconventional methods of treatment, but do not forget about regular monitoring of the condition of the ankle joint.
Treatment at home
Traditional medicine offers many ways to eliminate the symptoms of ankle arthrosis; these methods will help stop the disease for a long time.First of all, these are the following types of treatment:
- compresses;
- baths;
- rubbing;
- internal use of medicinal decoctions and infusions.
Along with the use of folk remedies, it is recommended to carry out treatment with strengthening gymnastics for the ankle joint.
Fact!It is known that arthrosis deformans is caused primarily by a lack of calcium.Therefore, products containing this mineral in large quantities should become the basis of the diet.
Compresses
In treatment with folk remedies, compresses created on different bases are used.But the most effective are the applications of fresh crushed burdock or cabbage leaves.This compress is tied up and left overnight.
For treatment at home with lotions, the following products are used:
- To relieve pain, compresses made from finely grated raw potatoes are used.The resulting mass is applied to the ankle joint for half an hour, wrapped in cling film.
- A lotion made from cabbage juice also works; to do this, you need to grind fresh cabbage leaves in a blender, apply the resulting mass to gauze, and wrap it around the joint.Leave for several hours.
- In the morning, pour hot water over rolled oats and leave until evening in a dark place.At night, apply the swollen flakes to your leg and leave overnight.
- To treat with a nourishing compress, you need to combine chalk or eggshells ground into flour and a fermented milk product in a 3:2 ratio.After which the nutrient mixture must be applied to the joint and left overnight.
- An excellent effect can be obtained from applying propolis plates to the sore area of the leg.Deforming arthrosis of the ankle joint will recede if you do this procedure for 10 days in a row at night.
- Horseradish compresses have warming and pain-relieving properties.For treatment, one root is ground in a meat grinder, after which the resulting mixture must be placed in a pan with boiling water and boiled for 1 minute.Apply the cooled medicine for 1-2 hours.
Healing compresses perfectly treat ankle arthrosis in the initial stages of symptoms - pain and crunching.The nutrients found in natural remedies help restore natural joint fluid production.
Baths
To relieve symptoms of the disease at home, it is good to use baths made from the following ingredients:
- For the treatment of arthrosis of the leg joints, turpentine baths or baths with bischofite have proven themselves to be effective.Usually 5-7 tbsp is added.each product for 10 liters of hot water.You should add water to the bowl as needed to keep it at an acceptable temperature.A course of 10 procedures for 40 minutes is carried out.
- Mustard powder dissolved in hot water treats symptoms of the disease well.Add 3-4 tablespoons of powder to the bowl and mix.Baths are taken for at least 30 minutes a day for a course of up to 15-20 days.
- To prepare the bath, boil 500g of pine needles in 4 liters of water for 25 minutes.After this, add the decoction to the saline solution.Salts should be added to the water at the rate of 7 tbsp.l.for 5 liters of hot water.Keep your feet in the bath for at least 20 minutes.An excellent addition to the procedure would be to lubricate the ankle joint with honey.
Coniferous extract dissolved in water with sea salt is not only an analgesic, but also a method that restores impaired metabolism in the ankle joint.
Fact!It is known that saline solutions help remove salts from joints, and with deforming arthrosis this is an extremely necessary measure.
Rubbing
In the fight against disease, rubbing with both healing ointments and tinctures of medicinal plants is used.In addition to the warming effect, such procedures are therapeutic in nature, directly affecting the cause of the development of arthrosis - lack of joint fluid.The following recipes are used for rubbing:
- In an enamel bowl, add birch buds to butter in a 1:1 ratio.Place in a steam bath and heat for 35 minutes.Pass the finished mixture through cheesecloth and add camphor alcohol in the same proportion.Rub the prepared ointment onto the joint before going to bed.Wear a wool sock the night after the procedure.
- Elecampane tincture helps to cope with pain in a damaged joint.To do this, rub the sore spot overnight.
- Press dandelion flowers in a dark glass bowl and fill with vodka to the brim, then leave in a dark place for 1 month.This tincture helps restore metabolism in cartilage tissue; it treats any arthrosis of the joints at the initial stage of the disease.
- Mix honey, alcohol, glycerin and iodine in proportions 3:3:2:1, leave for 4 hours, then rub into the sore joint.
- Melt the honey in a water bath, then add pre-prepared black radish juice, wine vinegar and salt to it in proportions 10:10:5:1.Use as a rub before bed.Can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.
Rubs are usually applied within 2 weeks.The self-massage performed in this case also has a beneficial effect on the healing process of the ankle affected by arthrosis.
Taking infusions internally
An excellent folk remedy for treating joints is garlic tincture.To prepare it, take crushed garlic and olive oil in proportions of 1:10 and infuse for 4 days.You need to drink 1 tsp.in the morning before meals.
In addition, decoctions of lingonberry leaves, as well as infusions using calendula flowers and birch buds, help.Healing infusions are made in a thermos, take 1/3 cup 15-20 minutes before meals.
Correct use of preventative measures for ankle arthritis at the initial stage will help stop the disease and the manifestation of its symptoms for many years.Folk remedies in combination with therapeutic exercises and proper nutrition are the key to success in the fight against the disease.