how to treat ankle sprain at home, 5 tips for ankle sprain

Ankle sprain

 Home remedies 

1. Ice

Applying ice to a sprained ankle can greatly help reduce swelling, inflammation and pain. Ice keeps the ligaments from becoming inflamed and stop any bleeding from a torn ligament. Ice should be applied over the affected area for the first 48 to 72 hours after the injury.

Wrap about a cup of ice cubes in a towel. Apply the compress to the injured area for 15 to 20 minutes. Repeat the process every two to three hours.

If ice is not readily available, you can use a frozen package of vegetables.

tips: Never put ice directly against the skin as it may cause damage to the skin.

2. Compression

To help stop swelling, compress or bandage the sprained ankle soon after the injury. Compression helps control pain as well as prevents further injury. To apply compression, you can use elastic, tape, bandages or special boots.

Buy a crepe or elastic bandage from a pharmacy.

Wrap the bandage from your toes to your mid-calf, using even pressure. Do not wrap it too tightly, as it can restrict blood flow.

Keep the bandage on during the day until the swelling reduces.

Remove the bandage before you go to sleep.

tips: Remove the bandage immediately if the affected area turns blue or begins to feel numb.

3. Arnica

Arnica is widely used for healing and strengthening muscles and joints. It is an excellent anti-inflammatory agent that helps reduce pain, swelling and inflammation. As an added benefit, arnica increases circulation and helps prevent bruising in the injured area.

Apply arnica essential oil in diluted form over the affected area and gently massage it. Wrap a bandage over the area and leave it on for at least five hours. Remove the bandage and repeat the process again after a few hours. Do this for a few days until your ankle is completely healed.

Apply arnica balm or ointment as cream or a compress two or three times a day.

tips: Some people are sensitive to arnica, so try a patch test before using it on the affected area. Also, do not apply arnica if the skin has open cuts.

4. Sweet Marjoram Oil for Sprained Ankle

Sweet marjoram oil is extracted Origanum marjorana, a tender bushy perennial herb. This essential oil has many therapeutic properties which include its analgesic, anti-spasmodic, antiseptic, antiviral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal properties that come to your rescue when you suffer from pain and swelling of sprained ankle. Due to its muscle relaxant and pain killing properties, sweet marjoram oil id used extensively to treat rheumatic pains and sprains, strains and spasms to relieve swollen joints and painful muscles.

Get this:

Sweet marjoram oil- few drops

Cold water

Foot basin

Do this:

Add sweet marjoram oil to a basin full of of cold water

Soak a towel in this water.

Wring out the excess water.

Place this towel onto your sprained ankle.

5. White Willow Bark for Pain from Sprain

The natural pain relieving herb, white willow bark, contains salicin. Salicin gets converted into salicylic acid once it enters your body. Salicylic acid is the natural compound which relieves pain and inflammation. Salicylic acid functions like the active ingredient of aspirin called acetylsalicylic acid. The inner bark of willows has compounds called phenolic glycoside esters. When you take the bark internally, the microorganisms in your intestine transform these compounds to saligenin. Saligenin is then oxidized in the liver and blood, producing salicylic acid. Salicylic acid reduces pain by inhibiting the synthesis of prostaglandins in your sensory nerves. You may have white willow bark tea or tincture to relieve pain due to your sprained ankle. Tea made from powdered willow bark, however, is too weak and you will need to have too much of it to have some effect. You may also make tincture from white willow bark.

How to Make White Willow Bark Tincture?

Get this:

White willow bark- 1/5 parts

Grain alcohol- 4/5 parts

Cheesecloth

A Quart jar with lid

Dark colored bottles, preferably with droppers

Do this:

Place white willow bark into the jar.

Fill the jar to the top with grain alcohol.

Shake it well.

Place the jar in some cool and dark place for 2-3 months.

Then strain using cheesecloth.

Pour in dark bottles to store. Label them well.

Store the bottles in clean dark place away from sun but do not place them in refrigerator.

Whenever you need to get relief from pain, like when you get sprained ankle, take 30-60 drops (depending upon the intensity of pain) in a glass.

Dilute the tincture drops with water and have it 3-4 times a day.

Precaution: White willow bark can thin blood. If you are taking blood thinners, do not use this herb. Don’t give this herb to children.