Best Natural Home Remedies for treating sore Muscle Sprain
Every person undergoes a muscle sprain at least once in their lifetime. It is a very common thing, but can be really painful. Here are a few remedies to get rid of the pain and help the sprain heal faster.
Compression:
Compress or bandage the injured area. It helps in controlling further damage by preventing swelling and movement. Elastic tapes, bandages special boots, splints, and air cast are used to compress the area. Be sure to wrap it around tightly. The sprained area gets tightened, and that will control further injury. Wrapping too tightly can constrict the flow of blood. So, be careful about that. In case you get swelling or numbness, make the bandage looser. Before going to bed, remove the bandage.
Elevation:
If you keep the area slightly elevated, it will help in controlling swelling. Use a pillow to elevate the part above your heart’s level. The swelling is reduced, excess fluid is drained, and the fluid is controlled from getting collected in the area of injury. If your leg is injured, do not spend too much time with your leg l=kept down. Keep it raised at regular intervals of time.
Ice:
Immediately after getting injured, take an ice pack and put over the sprained part. Let it stay for about 10 minutes at a time. It numbs the pain and makes the inflammatory process slower by constricting the blood vessels. For the first 3 days, continue using the ice pack. In case of vascular diseases, decreased sensation, or diabetes, consult your doctor before you use the ice pack.
Rest:
To recover from sprains, you need enough rest. D not put any weight or strain on the area affected by sprains. Keep your body inactive for at least 48 to 72 hours after the injury. Light exercises to relax the other muscles can be done without using the injured part.
The four steps given above comprise the RICE therapy, which stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. This first aid must be given immediately after the injury, and is very important during the first 24 to 72 hours.
Home Remedies for Muscle Strain:
Here are a few home remedies that can be used to help treat muscle sprains.
Arnica treatment for muscle sprain:
This alpine herb is a very common ingredient in homeopathy. It helps in relieving strains and injuries, sprains, and also joint pains. You can get arnica as an ointment, cream, or oil. Use the oil or ointment as a compress. Place it over your sprain to get relief. You also get to buy Arnica teas. Add a bit of it in your tea, coffee, or juice, using a dropper.
Almond Oil effect on muscle sprain:
Add a teaspoon of garlic oil to a teaspoon of almond oil and apply directly over your sprain to relieve the pain.
Castor Oil for sprains:
Castor oil is well known for its properties to help you in case of constipation, and also its effects on better growth of your hair. Another very important use of castor oil is in treating sprains. Make a castor oil pack with castor oil and apply it directly over your sprain. Take a heating pad and place it on a flat surface. Turn the settings knob to high. Put the garbage pad on top of it. Soak the flannel pieces in castor oil and place them on the bag and pad. After that, put this flannel over your sprain. Use a towel to wrap around it and keep the flannel in its place. Put this over your sprain for an hour. The temperature must be as high as you can stand. When you remove the pack, either clean off the area using soda or massage the oil in to your skin. This flannel can be sued again. You just need to add some oil and warm it when you use again.
Eucalyptus Oil for sprains or injuries:
Eucalyptus oil helps in giving you relief from injuries and sprains. Use a base massage oil like almond oil to make a 2% solution by blending eucalyptus. You can also use a combination of eucalyptus oil with rosemary oil to increase blood flow to your tissues and heal sore muscles and sprains.
Horse Chestnut:
Horse chestnut has got anti inflammatory properties, which helps in healing any kind of injury. This is due to the presence of aescin, which is a compound with healing properties. This makes horse chestnut very useful for sprains. Take some horse chestnut gel and apply over the sprain. Repeat the application every 2 hours to control the pain.
Lime Powder and Honey:
Use butter to blend the lime leaves and apply directly over your sprain. Mixing a teaspoon of lime powder and honey to apply on the sprain also works well.
Onion for sprained muscle:
Chop an onion and wrap it up in a muslin cloth. Place this cloth over the area where you got the sprain. It makes the healing process faster.
Pineapple juice for curing muscle sprain:
Pineapple helps control the pain of the sprain. Bromelain is an enzyme contained in pineapples which increase the speed of healing. Dermatitis is a side effect of this enzyme, so you must stop consuming pineapples in case you start getting itchiness on your skin.
Parsley:
Take some parsley and use it as a cold compress or make a poultice from it to heal your sprains. Your pain subsides in a while and the inflammation is also relieved. Any discoloration over the sprained part is also treated.
Thyme Oil:
Take about 5 drops of thyme oil and dilute it in water. Use the solution in a compress to control the swelling on the injured area. You could also dilute thyme oil in any other oil to use in a similar way.
Turmeric Paste for muscle sprains:
Turmeric is a natural pain reliever. It is a spice which has got anti-inflammatory properties. Make a paste of turmeric to apply over the sprain and heal it. Take 2 tablespoons of turmeric and 1 tablespoon of lime juice. Mix them well and add some boiling water to it. Make a thick paste. The consistency of the paste must be uniform. Use this paste to apply over your sprain. Use a plastic food wrap or a cheese cloth to hold this paste in place.