THE EFFECTIVENESS OF USING HERBAL MEDICINE AS A KNEE POULTICE IN TREATING OSTEOARTHRITIS AT MAE RAMAT HOSPITAL, MAE RAMAT DISTRICT, TAK PROVINCE

Abstract

This research aimed to 1. study the herbs used in herbal medicine, knee compress recipe for treating osteoarthritis. 2. study the effectiveness of using herbal medicine, knee compress recipe for treating osteoarthritis. This research was qualitative and experimental. The sample consisted of 20 osteoarthritis patients. The researchers used in-depth interviews. Data from data recording, data analysis by transcription, and photography were collected and categorized according to the researcher's criteria. The data were then rechecked to ensure completeness and reliability through triangulation.

The research results revealed that all nine herbal formulas share the same properties, namely, reducing inflammation and pain. Therefore, in analyzing the herbal knee poultice formulas, they can be divided into two main components: 1. The primary herbal formulas have a warming effect, helping to circulate blood and promote smooth blood circulation, alleviating joint pain and reducing bruising, including fingerroot, ginger, and galangal. 2. The secondary herbal formulas have a cooling effect, helping to reduce heat in the affected area and reduce joint inflammation, including Andrographis paniculata, Indian fig, foot, young yam, khanta, chingchi, and yannang. The effectiveness of the herbal knee poultice formulas, when considered by the difference in pain scores, shows a positive trend. Seven patients reported a decrease in their pain scores, from 6 to 2, seven patients from 5 to 1, and six patients from 4 to 1. Support for those with osteoarthritis of the knee should be promoted and encouraged to receive traditional Thai medicine treatment to improve their quality of life.