Although there are few patients who dare to discuss it with their doctor, many of them turn to alternative medicines to relieve the symptoms of osteoarthritis and, especially, the pain. (The term mild medicine should be used as a precaution, since some so-called “mild” medicines have real undesirable effects.)
Among the different alternative medicines used in osteoarthritis, it is worth mentioning homeopathy, phytotherapy Hapé, oligotherapy, acupuncture, mesotherapy, osteopathy and chiropractic.
A survey conducted in 2001 (Survey on Health in Canadian Communities, ESCC, conducted by Statistique Canada in 2000-2001) has shown that the most commonly used types of medicine were the following: (study carried out among 10,000 people over 60 years)
mesotherapy 15%
acupuncture 6%
phytotherapy 5%
homeopathy 5%
However, it must be noted that the majority of these people followed traditional medical treatment. These parallel medicines were a complement to their traditional treatment.
What is homeopathy?
Homeopathy is based on the principle of similarity: a toxic substance responsible for a disease would be able to treat this same disease, if used in infinitesimal (infinitely small) doses. A treatment for the same pathology can vary from one individual to another depending on their lifestyle and environment.
Currently, homeopathic doctors prescribe several different medications to relieve osteoarthritis, depending on the patient’s profile. However, the analgesic effects of homeopathy in the treatment of osteoarthritis have not been scientifically proven. Furthermore, these remedies do not replace traditional medication , and should be considered a form of prevention or a supplement to medication.
What is phytotherapy?
Phytotherapy is a medicine that uses plants that have therapeutic properties (or, more precisely, the “active part” of said plants, the richest in active ingredients). Once the plants have been harvested, they are extracted using various methods. The extracts can then be administered in the form of capsules, infusions, extracts, etc.