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Treatment of gout on legs with honey with salt and apple cider vinegar

Medical expert of the article

Rheumatologist
, medical expert
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025

Among all the folk remedies for pain relief, the most well-known is the benefit of honey for gout - honey compresses, rubbing honey into joints, a honey diet.

Gout is a chronic disease, the main cause of which is a metabolic disorder, as a result of which the level of uric acid in the blood increases. This occurs due to a slowdown in its removal from the body or the formation of new crystals. Also, the reasons may be a malfunction of the kidneys or a hereditary predisposition.

About one third of the entire population suffers from the disease, but men "in their prime" are affected about 9 times more often than women, due to greater muscle mass, hormonal factors, and overall lifestyle and diet. Women suffer from this disease much less often, after 50 years of age.

Usually it all starts with a sudden sharp pain in the joint, most often in the big toes, that is, in the area furthest from the heart, where blood circulation is slowest. As a rule, burning pain occurs at night or early in the morning, after a heavy feast and drinking alcohol the day before. The joint turns red, swells, the local temperature rises, it is unbearable to endure even a light touch to the sore joint. The first attack does not last long, the symptoms go away on their own in 3-7 days, but over time the periods between attacks are shortened, and the disease spreads to other joints. Therefore, this disease cannot be ignored, since without proper treatment it leads to very serious consequences - complete destruction of articular cartilage.

Treating Gout with Honey

The main thing in treatment is control over the level of uric acid in the body. Treatment is prescribed comprehensively, it should include diet, physiotherapy and drug treatment under the supervision of a rheumatologist. Drugs are prescribed that reduce the level of uric acid in the blood (etamide, cinchophen, allopurinol), painkillers with a quick effect, a strict diet is prescribed aimed at reducing the number of crystals in the blood. Daily special exercises, massage and contrast water procedures are mandatory. In folk medicine, many remedies are used to treat gout, both for internal and external use. However, an early consultation with the attending physician is necessary, who can competently assess the state of the body, select an individual treatment regimen, and also stop possible allergic reactions in time in case of individual intolerance to certain components.

Rubbing honey into joints for gout creates a so-called intra-articular lubricant, which helps remove uric acid. Before rubbing honey, it is important to first warm up the joint using a heating pad or steaming in hot water, and then rub honey into it with massaging movements for 15 minutes. After that, put a thick paper napkin, also smeared with honey, wrap it in a plastic bag and secure the honey compress with a warm terry towel. You can remove it after 3-4 hours, but you can do such compresses at night. It is recommended to use 10 honey compresses: the first four - daily, the next six compresses - every other day. Then take a break for 2-3 weeks and repeat. For greater effect, you can also prepare an ointment from honey, which will help to relieve or significantly alleviate joint pain in a short time. It is necessary to mix one and a half glasses of black radish juice, 0.5 glasses of vodka, 1 glass of honey and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Shake the resulting mixture, leave for 1 hour and spread on the joints.

You should also take into account the medicinal properties of onions with honey for gout. There are several options for compresses with honey and onions. Before applying the compress, it is advisable to steam your feet in hot water or warm them up with a heating pad if other joints are sore. For the compress, take 1 tbsp. mustard powder, 1 tbsp. baking soda, finely chopped onions and 1 tbsp. honey, wrap in a thick paper napkin and put on woolen socks or wrap in a warm towel. The course of application is 2 weeks.

Also very effective is a compress with aloe. It is advisable to keep the aloe leaf in the refrigerator for 2 days before use, wrapped in a paper napkin - this way it will absorb juice and better show its beneficial properties. For the compress, you need to chop 2-3 aloe leaves, 6 cloves of garlic and 1 onion. Add 30 grams of melted butter, 50 ml of honey, 50 ml of water, mix everything thoroughly, pour into a saucepan and bring to a boil over low heat, but do not boil. Let it cool and apply the resulting mixture to the joint, wrap it in a plastic bag and a warm towel.

Diet for gout

Diet is the most important component of gout treatment. Since this disease is most often caused by a disorder of protein metabolism, a mandatory condition of treatment is compliance with certain dietary restrictions. Provocative products that should be excluded from consumption: meat broths, canned food, meat by-products, smoked and spicy food, chocolate, coffee, canned fish, salt, alcohol.

It is necessary to eat vegetables, both fresh and steamed, fruit juices, cottage cheese, walnuts, apples, watermelons in season and a large amount of water per day (at least 2-2.5 liters). You can also eat meat 5-7 times a month, but only boiled and lean fish.

For prevention and treatment in the early stages, birch sap, celery juice and tea from currant or rosehip leaves are useful.

However, not only the diet prescribed by the doctor is important, but also some nuances that enhance the therapeutic effect. For those suffering from gout, fasting and overeating are unacceptable, as this provokes the next attack. Meals should be 5-7 times a day in small portions. It is useful to introduce fasting days (1-2 times a week), but only with the consent of the doctor.

Many people are interested in the question: is it possible to eat honey if you have gout?

Yes, during the period of gout remission, honey will not only perfectly replace other sweets. But it is important to remember that honey should not be dissolved in hot water, it should be added later, when the tea has cooled down a little.

However, with very high levels of uric acid in the blood, the body produces about half of this amount itself, from its own materials, and only the other part comes from outside with food. Therefore, diet alone will not help cure the disease. An individual complex intake of special drugs and physical exercises are necessary. Also, since this disease is hereditary, those who have someone in the family with gout should pay attention to prevention and consult with the attending physician in advance about the need for diet and exercise.

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