Natural Remedies for Gout: Effective Treatments and Prevention Tips

Folk Methods for Treating Gout

Gout is a common disease that has caused suffering for people since ancient times. Hippocrates described the signs of severe pain in the area of the big toe, which he called gout. Although it is believed that women are less affected by it than men, this is of little comfort, as gout causes changes in cartilage tissue in the joints, leading to an unsightly appearance, as seen in photos. Gout is a chronic disease where metabolism is disrupted, affecting not only the joints but also the kidneys and other internal organs.

Gout in All Its Glory

Scientists are surprised: all over the world, especially in developed countries, there is a growing trend—this disease is gaining strength, with the number of cases increasing year by year. This raises concerns and prompts thought. Epidemiologists suggest that the cause is an unhealthy lifestyle, particularly the poor diet of most people. It’s no secret that few people can or want to restrict their food intake. This is where the problem lies. However, sometimes the disease takes a chronic form due to heredity.

One disease, often mistaken for gout, occurs frequently in women and is unrelated to it. This orthopedic disease is called “bunions” or, scientifically, hallux valgus. It involves inflammation and deformity of the joint at the base of the big toe. In this case, salt deposits do not occur because the nature of the deformation is due to excessive pressure on the feet.

If there are no severe complications involving the kidneys, gout can progress slowly over many years. Disability typically occurs only in severe cases:

• in gouty kidney disease and joint destruction,
• in developed atherosclerosis of cerebral and coronary vessels.

In general, jokes with gout can lead to serious complications, painful attacks, and even premature death. This depends on the extent of cardiovascular and kidney pathology.

What Causes the Disease?

What doctors suspect today was long known to ancient healers, who said that gout is caused by excessiveness, indulgence, and heredity. With a high standard of living, many temptations arise, which are difficult for women to resist. It turns out that food cravings can cause great harm. Meat, fish, eggs, sweets, sour, pickled foods, and mushrooms are responsible for saturating the blood with uric acid. Alcohol, which is toxic to the body, also contributes.

Metabolism is disrupted due to self-poisoning. Since this process takes years to accumulate toxins, the disease does not appear suddenly, but develops predictably. The byproducts of purine metabolism are uric acid. These compounds are abundant in all meat products.

One cause of gout is kidney dysfunction (due to hypothermia or prolapse). Since the condition of the kidneys is closely linked to the health of the joints in the lower limbs, they are often the first to suffer from any imbalance. Gout can be either a primary disease or secondary, caused by intoxications and blood diseases. Gout primarily affects the joints of the fingers, wrists, elbows, and knees, but its favorite site is the big toe (the metatarsophalangeal joint).

Symptoms of the Disease

This disease in women is incurable and metabolic in nature, and it progresses through four stages:

1. At the initial stage, the woman may not feel any changes in the body, although uric acid levels are already elevated. The first signs might be joint pain, discomfort, frequent urination, abdominal pain, and insomnia.
2. The second stage is marked by an acute gout attack, where one or more joints quickly become swollen within a few hours, causing severe pain. Chills, nausea, and general weakness may accompany this inflammatory process. After some time, the pain subsides, the overall condition normalizes, and the patient feels completely healthy. Later, attacks become rarer, but the disease continues to silently affect other joints.
3. At the third stage, everything seems calm, with no attacks, but this is only the calm before the storm. Uric acid levels are now quite high, and it continues to accumulate in the tissues and joints.
4. At the final stage, the disease becomes chronic, and gouty nodules (tophi) form due to the deposition of uric acid crystals in tendons and joints. This stage often involves tenderness in the Achilles tendon and bursae around the elbow. The patient’s health is in serious danger as kidney dysfunction can lead to kidney shrinkage.

Over time, gout symptoms develop as follows: initially, the joints inflame, then tophi form, and eventually internal organs are affected. Joint symptoms are the most pronounced, with attacks lasting from 3 days to 1.5 months. The big toes are most commonly affected. In rare and extreme cases, the spine can be involved.

Traditional Medicine Recommendations

Prevention has always been the most important remedy for any disease, and gout is no exception. One should maintain proper hydration, drinking 2-3 liters of clean water daily, and avoid foods that can easily provoke gout. These include alcoholic beverages, coffee, tea, as well as meat, fish, salty and acidic foods, spicy, smoked foods, eggs, and chocolate. For those already affected by gout, these foods should be completely avoided.

Patients with gout are advised to undergo physiotherapy and balneotherapy procedures, including:

• mud and paraffin applications,
• physical therapy (LFK),
• massage,
• hydrogen sulfide and radon baths.

Modern medicine offers many treatments that can suppress severe gout attacks and normalize blood uric acid levels in patients. The most powerful medication for gouty arthritis includes colchicine, indole, pyrazolone, as well as corticosteroid and immunosuppressive drugs. The primary principle of treatment is to continuously use anti-gout medications throughout life, as attacks return once the medications are stopped.

Surgical intervention is only necessary in extreme, severe, and advanced cases where urate deposits are large enough to require removal. Tophi and fistulas do not dissolve with gout therapy and may become infected, immobilizing the affected joint. In some cases, cartilage destruction leads to disability, and the only solution is reconstructive surgery, such as arthroplasty.

Folk Methods for Treating Gout

To achieve the best results, acute or chronic gout can be treated in combination with various procedures. This is where “grandmother’s recipes” come in handy!

• Activated charcoal can effectively relieve pain in an inflamed joint. Take 0.5 cup of ground charcoal, add a little water and 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed. Apply this paste to the affected joint overnight, wrapping it in plastic and securing with a bandage. By morning, the pain will subside.
• A simple method for severe foot pain involves placing a small piece of foil on the affected area before putting on shoes.
• Butter can relieve pain. Take equal amounts of butter and alcohol. Heat the butter until foam forms, then remove from heat and add the alcohol. Light the mixture on fire, and once it burns out, the magical ointment is ready. Store it in a clean jar in the refrigerator and apply to the affected area until the pain disappears.
• Iodine is not just for treating wounds. A good foot bath before bed can help. Dissolve 9 drops of iodine and 3 teaspoons of baking soda in 3 liters of water. Joint growths will stop bothering you and gradually disappear.
• If there is no acute inflammation in the joints, a regular self-massage can be used. Gently stroke the area around the inflamed joints, and then the joints themselves. End the procedure with a light kneading of the tissues and rubbing of therapeutic ointments.

Ancient Healers’ Recommendations

Ancient medicine, particularly Vedic medicine, offers some unusual approaches to treating diseases. Based on this, several recommendations can be highlighted:

1. Prefer a vegetarian diet.
2. Drink special water enriched with vitamins, minerals, and trace elements.
3. The benefits of date seeds. Soak some date seeds in clean cold water, preferably boiled, and let them steep for 24 hours or longer. This water is very beneficial and can be drunk in large quantities. It boosts energy and improves mood.
4. A remarkable course. For any joint diseases, especially gout, it is recommended to drink hot water. The water should not be plain but specially prepared. Boil it for 15 minutes, then drink it in small sips. This so-called “Ayurvedic hot water” helps eliminate toxins, excess acids, and salts from the body. It is good for digestion, urination, weight loss, and improves well-being and performance.

In conclusion, all diets and folk methods for treating gout aim at cleansing the body from toxins and limiting the consumption of harmful foods. By removing toxins, the level of uric acid in the body decreases. A positive side effect of this is that the person begins to enjoy life more and often becomes an advocate for a healthy lifestyle.