IMPORTANT
Unless otherwise stated on the package, most supplements and herbal remedies aren’t suitable for children under 12.
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Osteochondritis

What you need to know:

It might seem cruel and feel heart-breaking to force children in pain to do some exercise, but keeping mobile is essential as it keeps the muscles supporting the affected joints strong and healthy, which eventually reduces the pain. Swimming is ideal because the painful joints are supported by the water, but if gentle encouragement doesn’t work there’s no point forcing a sick child to do something he or she doesn’t like. Even a walk around the garden will help.

Some complementary therapies can help mobility, too. They include the Alexander Technique, Yoga and Reflexology.

Dietary changes that may be beneficial:

Eat more:
  • Oily fish and shellfish - for their omega-3 fatty acids
  • Sweet potatoes, broccoli, mango, spinach, cantaloupe melons, apricots, carrots, liver (but not if your teenage girl might be pregnant) - for Vitamin A and beta- carotene
  • Citrus fruits, strawberries, kiwi fruits, peppers and dark green leafy vegetable - for Vitamin C and bioflavonoids
  • Olive oil, sunflower seeds, unsalted nuts and avocadoes - for vitamin E
It’s also best to avoid red meat and all processed meat products.

The most useful Herbs:

  • Ginger - the medicinal Chinese variety of this herb
  • Devil’s claw
  • Angelica
  • Yellow dock
  • Prickly ash
  • Willow bark
  • Comfrey - use as a cream or infused oil to massage into the aching joints at night

The most useful Supplements:

  • Green-lipped mussel extract
  • Glucosamine
  • Cod liver oil
  • Fish oils
  • Pycnogenol

Homoeopathy

Homoeopaths often use Rhus toxicodhendron, Pulsatilla and Calcarea carbonica to treat this condition, but it’s best to consult a professional as the severity, cause and sites of inflammation can vary so much between individuals.

Other Therapies:

Aromatherapy can be enormously relieving and there are several oils which can soothe the pain - lavender, roman chamomile, marjoram, Ginger, black pepper, rosemary and juniper among them. Use them in the bath or added to a carrier oil for massage. But always get professional advice before using Aromatherapy oils on children and don’t massage any oils or dilutions of oils into areas which are inflamed.

Other useful advice:

There are several remedies which you might have sitting around in the kitchen or bathroom cupboard:
  • Cabbage poultices. This old country remedy really does work. Take two or three outside leaves from a dark green cabbage, bruise them with a wooden spoon, warm in a microwave, steamer, oven or on a hot radiator. When they’re still warm, but cool enough to handle, put them on the painful joints and hold in place with a tea towel or large bandage
  • Ginger tea. Peel and grate 1 cm of Ginger root, put into a mug with boiling water and leave for 10 minutes. Strain, allow to cool and drink with a teaspoon of pasteurised honey added
  • Epsom salts baths. Add three tablespoons of the salts to a warm bath and soak in it for 20 minutes
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This information is licensed for use by Wellbeing Information Systems Ltd ("WIS"), and protected by international copyright law. All rights are reserved. (email info@wisinfo.co.uk).
The information provided by WIS is for guidance only. Whilst it is based upon the expert advice of leading professionals, and extensive research, it is not a substitute for diagnosis by a qualified professional. Always consult your doctor, pharmacist or qualified practitioner before making any changes or additions to prescribed medication.