Innovative Development Model of Prototype Product: "Herbal Pain Relief Belt" for the Elderly in Bang Nam Priew District, Chachoengsao Province

Abstract

Background and Objectives: According to 2010 statistics on orthopedic patients in Thailand, over 6 million people suffer from this disease. Sixty and above are symptoms of osteoarthritis. In 2022, 942 elderly people in Bang Khanak Street had knee pain caused by osteoarthritis and were taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Bang Nam Priao Hospital provides herbal knee pads to alleviate knee pain in the community and has found that knee pads make it uncomfortable to stand or walk. Therefore, Bang Nam Priao Hospital has created an innovative herbal belt to alleviate pain. This study compares knee pain relief before and after using innovative herbal belts and studies innovative models suitable for the elderly in Bang Nam Priao District Chachoengsao Province.

Methodology: This study is quasi-experimental research. Compare knee pain before and after the experiment involving thirty purposively selected elderly. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected using the recording form. Quantitative data using descriptive statistics, frequency distribution, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. Qualitative data was analyzed using content analysis.

Results: Based on the experimental hypothesis, it can be concluded that using an innovative herbal belt relieves aches and pains in elderly people with severe knee pain problems. After using the innovation for the third time, it was observed that most elderly people experienced only slight knee pain. The study also found that most elderly individuals with knee pain typically rely on painkillers for relief. However, after using the innovative herbal belt, the usage of painkillers decreased, and some elderly people no longer needed them. Furthermore, the evaluation of satisfaction with the herbal belt showed that the elderly were at the highest level of satisfaction with the herbal belt innovation.

Conclusion: An innovative herbal belt is one option for relieving knee pain in the elderly. It can also help reduce the intake of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which can be further applied to the herbal belt to relieve muscle pain.