Osteoarthritis, full recovery without surgery
Summer, 2016. Osteoarthritis healing.
I woke up with severe pain in my right knee, hence I went to see my GP. After a very short and poorly examination, I was told I do not have anything. I was still naive at that time, hence I trusted him. Why should not trust in my own health care provider? Its there to help us. Unfortunately, they do not provide any real help, They are trained only to prescribe drugs. After few months, pain ceased. Months later, the knee pain moved from the right to left knee. I was leaving with an excruciating pain. My knee doubled in volume, hot on touch, and painful 24/24 h. I went back to my GP, and requested some investigation. Basically, I asked my GP to refer me for Xray, bloods test ( vit D, bone profile, FBC, U&E, and more). I told him about my concerns. He laughed when I said I might have osteoarthritis. However agreed to do all the requested test. Why he did not have any concerns? Because I was not in the high group of risk of the osteoarthritis. I did not have any chronic condition. no smokers, not being overweight.
The results came back. “Osteoarthritis, the knee still well maintained”. I was told, being a degenerative disease, nothing can be done, apart of taking medication for pain management and some physiotherapy exercises. Therefore, I need to wait till I will qualify for a knee replacement. I was very disappointed by the lack of support and compassions from my GP. That moment I realised its not about the health care, everything is about “bad care” (medications, surgery). He did not referred me to the rheumatologist, because nothing could be done. I might try some corticosteroids injections, but in most of the cases do not work .
I was trying to imagine how is going to be my future, how I will be able to work, to leave my life . It was painful to walk, to get off from bed, to look after myself. I was a patient left without any support, hence depression hit me hard.
However, I decided to take my health in on my hands, and refuse to leave with pain and being unhappy.
Ironically, at the time. I was working in an elective surgical orthopaedic ward. All the patients admitted for knee/hip replacement due to osteoarthritis deterioration (bone to bone). I started to do my own research throughout the patients. None of them had the vitamin D checked. None of them have any properly investigation. However, everyone has been told osteoarthrtis is degenerative disease. There is not cure, they need to learn to leave with the pain, and wait for knee/hip replacement. I encountered patients with double knee replacement, and people who completely have knees and hips replaced, also shoulders.. I was shocked. Those people practically became “human robots”.
This was my moment of Enlightenment.
I wrote my own treatment plan ( vitamin D level it was incredible low), detox diet, taking professional multivitamins and minerals. I changed my diet, even though my diet was not so bad, for my high level of inflammation was not good. Hence I avoid all the foods with a high risk of inflammation, following an anti-inflammatory diet, I went back to school and I did herbal medicine.
Another Enlightenment moment: Gaia, the powerful Mother Earh
I realised I have been suffering of “plant blindness”
A phenomenon called “plant blindness” means we tend to underappreciate the flora around us. That can have disastrous consequences not only for the environment, but human health.
Herbal medicines are made from plants. I learnt how to use combinations of plant parts, leaves, flowers or roots. Each part of the plant can have a different medicinal use. Since than I have been using dried plants to make the medicine, also recommended to my clients.
Herbal medicine aims to restore the body, so that it can protect, regulate and heal itself. It is a whole body approach. It looks at your physical, mental and emotional well being.
Plants are incredible powerful. One of my favourite is the delicate dandelion.
The practice of using herbal supplements dates back thousands of years. I learnt how to make tinctures, gels, lotions, or creams, and I am using them to treat my clients for various conditions such as allergies (asthma, hay fever, sinusitis etc) , skin problems, constipations, to heal the liver and more.
Hence, I managed to completely recover my knees through nutrition, vitamins and minerals, collagen, herbal creams, body and mind detox and osteoarthritis knee exercises.
6 months later I went back to see my GP to request another blood test and Xray. My GP refused to do another Xray,
He asked me: “If I feel so good why do I want to expose myself to radiations? Fair enough I said :), However, I was not asked how did I managed to completely recover from osteoartrathitis. It was my confirmation how ” sick is the health care system”.
I am free of pain, and enjoying my life <3
Madelena Tapliga
MSc Clinical Nutritionist, accredited Nutritionist of UK from Association for Nutrition (AfN) London
Herbal Medicine
MLD therapist
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