Almost everyone can suffer from sprains and strains at some stage in their lives. Sprains occur when you overstretching or tearing of the ligaments that support the body’s joints. Ligaments are a band of tough fibrous tissue that connects two or more bones in your joints. The common areas of the body affected are the neck, ankles, knees, wrists and thumb.
A strain refers to an injury that involves some stretching or minor tearing of the muscles or tendons. Some of the common area of strains are the lower back and the back of your thighs. This type of injury frequently occurs when you stretch a muscle too fast and powerfully contract. It may also happen when the muscle stretched too far unusually far or abruptly.
The treatment depends on the severity of each injury. Many times minor injuries can be treated quickly and simply at home, but more serious injuries may require surgery. Below are some home remedies for sprain and strain :
1. R.I.C.E. are one the method for immediate treatment of sprains, swelling and bruises.
- Rest: Resting can be termed as the best thing to do during this time. Any kind of activity should be avoided which may cause pain, swelling or any other discomfort.
- Ice: Apply an icebag wrapped in a cloth to the affected area for 20 minutes every two hours. Don’t apply ice directly to the skin. If all you have is a cold stream to soak it in, that is also good.
- Compression: The use of compression helps in compressing the pain with use of elastic tapes, bandages, special boots, air casts and splints. This tightens the strained or sprained area by avoiding further injury.
- Elevation: By keeping the injured part elevated you can help in decreasing the swelling. The best position to keep the injured part elevated is above your heart level.
2. Acupuncture is a natural and safe way to reduce the painful. A recent study found that acupuncture can relax muscle spasms and ease chronic pain. Acupuncturists often apply moxibustion (a technique in which the herb mugwort is burned over specific acupuncture points) in combination with needling in order to strengthen or deepen the treatment for this condition.
3. Massage can aid relaxation, help to reduce pain and muscle spasm, and improve flexibility. Apply a generous amount of Biofreeze with gentle massage to the affected. BIOFREEZE is natural analgesic pain that helps in the relief of back pain, arthritis pain, muscle strain neck pain and other aches and pains.
4. Over-the-counter pain reliever such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) or acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) may all help alleviate the pain, swelling and inflammation in injured muscles, joints and connective tissues.
5. Herbs are generally considered safe and can help reduce pain and swelling. Herbs may be used as dried extracts (capsules, powders, teas) or tinctures. Some herbs such as turmeric, horse, arnica, hawthorn, ginger, and white willow can be used to relaxes muscles and eases spasms.
