Home Remedies For Swelling After An Injury

Listed in this article are a few of the best home remedies that help in getting rid of the swelling after an injury.

By Suhasini Srirangam

Wednesday, April 26, 2017, 16:06

An injury, much unlike a heartbreak, comes without an invitation. You could be walking down a street, taking a flight of stairs, or tiptoeing on stilettos.

While the fall might be small, the after-effects are bitter all the way. The pain gets quite unrelenting by the hour, and the urge to step out increases by the minute.

Leaving things to time for healing might be the most philosophical approach; however, the smartest ways to deal with the pain are right in your arms' reach.

In order to deal with such a situation, there are certain home remedies that you can quickly do all by yourself.

Also, the best part about these home remedies is that you can be assured of its safety. They have no side effects. These can be used by people of all age groups. Have a look at these easy home remedies.

1. Warmth Of A Cold Compress!

As ironic as it gets, in the first couple of days, the easiest way to feel a quick relief is to feed the injured area with frequent cold compress. Wrap a lot of ice cubes into a muslin or any old cloth and press that onto the affected area for close to 10-15 minutes.

This will soothe the nerves and reduce the inflammation/swelling slowly, but surely.

2. Wrap Around

Speaking of compression, another effective way is to wrap the injured area with an ACE or elastic wrap, with medium pressure. The key is to find a balance between loose and extra-tight fitting, as both the extremes will lead the attempt to failure. Keep the bandage on until you get to bed and feel the difference in a day.

3. Deserves A Pedestal

Injured, hurt or bruised - we all get the extra attention that we think we deserve. So why not the injured area itself? One of the best ways to improve blood circulation around the affected area is to elevate the part and help make way for the injury to be supplied with blood. It helps flushing out of the impurities accumulated in the area and facilitates faster healing.

The key here is to keep the injured area, for instance the leg, elevated on soft surfaces (pillows, cushions, pile of duvets/blankets) to ensure the process is comforting.

4. Deprive Yourself Of Accessories

Wear bear minimum around that area and keep it stripped off any accessories like anklets, rings, bangles etc., as anything potential of hindering the blood flow will not only slow down the process of healing, but will also cause more pain.

5. Soak In And Chill

Arrange for a tub of hot water mixed with salt. Soak the affected area (for at least a good 20 minutes) and feel the pain release into the water. This is one of the best methods to relieve pain in the legs and a perfect home remedy for swelling.

6. Move, So You Don’t Forget How To!

Our body works according to a beautiful concept called muscle memory. Although the first 48-72 hours should be filled with tender loving care, gradually you must start to exercise the injured area with movements that it could do before the fall, at least the basic ones. Nothing drastic, but slowly getting your body back to normal functioning. Do not overdo the care, else your muscles will only remember that.

7. Absolute No-Nos

Avoid any intake of hot beverages, tobacco, smoking, or hot showers through the healing period, as it slows down the process and tends to increase the swelling.

8. Use This Excuse To Rest More

For those of you who can never get enough of sleep, this is the time to give it an excuse. Rest the area appropriately, so the soreness doesn't go up. The injured area sure needs a break from the routine, so give it a vacation from the chores.