The Study of Opportunity for Early Stage Knee Osteoarthritis Treatment with Thai Traditional Medicine

Abstract

              The purpose of this study is to study of opportunity for early stage knee osteoarthritis treatment with Thai Traditional Medicine of volunteer patients at Thai Traditional Medical Demonstrative Hospital, School of Traditional and Alternative Medicine Chiang Rai Rajabhat University. The study method begins with a review of textbooks on knee osteoarthritis in modern medicine and Thai traditional medicine textbooks for the guidelines of treatment and followed up the 23 case studies by observation and participatory interview.

              The results showed that the Lom Shap Pong of Thai traditional medicine was similar to the symptom of knee osteoarthritis in modern medicine, but it was only the early stage. There is a cause of pain, swelling, joint obstruction, caused by the faint ness of the wind and wind blood. The Thai traditional physician has a knowledge of treatment using hand-treated procedures. The treatment principle is to reduce the obstructive of wind and wind blood that inserts the muscles and tendons in the knee and stimulate the flow of wind blood to the area around the knee. The evaluation of the treatment of 23 volunteer patients, which are found to be recovered from an indication of 100%. After 6 months follow-up, the volunteer patients has non-recurrence of 82.60 % and recurrence 17.40%.

              This research can be concluded that Thai traditional physician has the opportunity to treat early stage of knee osteoarthritis and is an alternative to reduce the therapeutic cost for patients with early stage osteoarthritis.