Home Remedies for Sprains

Sprains and injuries are a normal part of our daily life. Try as we might, we cannot avoid them. However, care must be taken as some of these can become quite complicated if neglected. Infections could occur and the wounds can become septic. Hence, immediate treatment is needed.

Parents especially must pay attention to the bodies of their children since children are always fearful of reporting injuries to their parents. It is also children who get the most injuries, since they lead an active playful life. A sprain can be described as an injury in which the tissues around the injured joint get torn. These tissues, better known as ligaments, are extremely soft in nature. They connect two or more bones together to form a joint. During a sprain, one or more ligaments get worn out and tear apart. Wrists, ankles and knees are the areas most susceptible to sprains. Some of the common causes of sprain are sudden fall, a forceful blow to the body, twisting, stepping on an uneven surface, lifting heavy objects and over-stretching of the ligaments. Though it is not a fracture, sprain can be just as painful. Through the following lines, we will tell you how to treat a sprain with home remedies.

Causes of Sprain

The various causes of sprains are:

• Sudden fall
• A forceful blow to the body
• Twisting
• Stepping on an uneven surface
• Lifting heavy objects
• Over stretching of the ligaments

Home Remedy for Sprain

• The most effective way to treat sprain would be to apply cold compress on the area and cover it with a bandage.
• For a foot sprain, the best bet would be to put a tbsp of black coffee in the bandage and wrap the hurt foot with it.
• A simple way to get relief from pain and cure sprain would be to soak the outer leaves of a cabbage in water. Now, wrap the sprained area with these leaves and let them remain there for about 10 to 15 minutes.
• In a bowl of warm water, put a few drops of lavender oil. Soak the sprained area in this water.
• A popular home remedy for sprain is to massage the area with a mixture of almond oil and garlic oil.
• Chop onions and wrap them in a muslin cloth. Place the cloth on the affected area for sometime.
• In a cup of sunflower oil, mix 1 tsp of camphor oil. Massage the affected area with this oil mixture. It would provide immense relief from the pain.
• Another effective oil combination would comprise of a mixture of 2 tbsp sunflower oil and 1 tbsp turpentine oil. Store this mixture in a glass jar and massage the sprained area with it, on a daily basis.
• An effective way to cure the pain experienced during sprain would be to have lots of pineapple.
• A simple way to cure sprain would be to give the affected area a hot Epsom salt bath.
• In case of immense pain, take a glass of warm milk and add some turmeric powder to it. Have this milk two times a day. It would provide instant relief.
• In a tsp of honey, add 1 tsp of lime juice. Massage this mixture on the affected area to treat sprains.
• Prepare a paste by blending together lime leaves and butter. Apply this paste over the sprained area and leave it there for sometime. This would help heal the sprain.
• To get relief from the pain experienced during sprain, add five drops of thyme oil to your bathing water and have a hot tub bath.