Standardized Preparation of Ruyi Jinhuang Paste from Herbal Powder and Its Topical Application for Knee Osteoarthritis

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a common chronic degenerative disease with an extremely high incidence in middle-aged and elderly people, characterized by a long disease course and progressive aggravation. Knee pain, swelling, and dysfunction severely reduce patients' quality of life and constitute the major health problem in this population. Currently, western medical treatments (such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs [NSAIDs]) can relieve symptoms. However, long-term use is often accompanied by gastrointestinal and cardiovascular risks, which can hardly meet patients' needs for long-term safe management, and the recurrence rate is relatively high. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a long history and extensive experience in treating orthopedic diseases. As a characteristic TCM therapy, herbal topical application is a commonly used TCM nursing intervention that can be prepared and applied without complex equipment, making it potentially suitable for use outside the hospital after appropriate instruction. This paper aims to introduce a standardized method for preparing and applying herbal ointment for self-management among KOA patients, including site selection, procedural steps, treatment duration, and other key aspects.