How to treat leg sprain

The foot is one of the most vulnerable parts of the body. It is she who accounts for the load during intense training, running, cycling and normal walking. It is enough for a person to slip, tuck or hit a leg, and cracks and small tears can form in the ligaments of the ankle joint. Such damage is called sprains. An injured foot is treated at home, but consult a doctor first.

First aid

The risk of tucking up a leg is increased if a person:

• wears high-heeled shoes;
• engaged in professional sports;
• has diseases of the calf muscles;
• suffering from high arch of the foot.

At risk are people with obesity, because overweight increases the load on the feet. Doctors advise you to carefully move along slippery and uneven roads, look carefully under your feet and play sports only in appropriate shoes. Do not turn too sharply, but with flat feet use orthopedic insoles.

The person who turned the foot should be laid on a sofa or bed. If not possible, then sit on a chair. The main thing is to immobilize the victim. When stretched, it is forbidden to walk and, especially, run, otherwise the cracks in the soft tissues increase, and the chance increases that the ligament will completely separate from the bone.

Injury of the first and second degree is treated at home. A damaged foot is wrapped with an elastic bandage and lifted above the body. Lay a few small pillows or a roll of blankets. Liquid will accumulate in soft tissues due to tearing. To prevent the leg from becoming too swollen, something cold is applied to it. For example, ice wrapped in a towel, or a piece of frozen meat wrapped in a clean cloth.

In the first day after sprain:

• knead damaged muscles and do massage;
• apply warm compresses;
• to take a bath;
• soar feet.

These methods only increase the edema and hematoma formed due to the rupture of small capillaries. Ointments that soothe and anesthetize can be rubbed into the affected joint. For example, Viprosal or Kapsoderma. Inside take anti-inflammatory drugs and drugs that relieve spasm. Suitable "Diclofenac" or "Ibuprofen." With an increase in temperature, Paracetamol is allowed.

The main thing is to move less and not to strain the joints. More rest, because during sleep, the body recovers much more actively.

When home treatment only hurts

Patients with a third degree sprain can not do without medical care. In such cases, the ligaments are completely separated from the bone. The joint does not show resistance under loads, pathological mobility of the foot occurs. The third degree of stretching is indicated by:

• sharp and severe pain that appears with every, even minimal, movement;
• tingling in the injured leg;
• numbness of the foot or calf muscles, indicating damage to nerve fibers;
• crunch when moving a joint or click;
• swelling and redness of the skin;
• a hematoma that forms around the injured joint;
• the foot bends at too great an angle or has lost mobility;
• fever and chills.

A patient with a third degree of stretching has only one way out - surgical intervention. The surgeon sews torn tissue and attaches to the bone. Rehabilitation and restoration of joint mobility takes at least 6 months. But if the patient does not seek help in a timely manner, then he runs the risk of remaining disabled and will not be able to walk without assistance.

Compresses and lotions

If nothing serious has happened, then the patient is advised to lie down at home for 2-3 days, until the swelling decreases. Ointments and anti-inflammatory drugs are recommended to be supplemented with homemade compresses from improvised means. They will restore blood circulation in the affected joint, strengthen injured soft tissues and accelerate ligament regeneration. There are several effective recipes in the arsenal of traditional medicine:

1. Grate a large potato without peeling it on a coarse grater. It’s easier and faster to grind the product with a blender. Pasta from the root crop is spread on cheesecloth. The compress is slightly squeezed so that the juice does not spread over the entire leg, and wrap around the affected foot.
2. Form a small bag from linen or cotton fabric. Fill it with blue or red clay diluted with boiled water. You can simply add some liquid to the powder and form an elastic dough. Clay cake close injured ligaments and leave to dry. This recipe helps with edema and hematomas.
3. Pain is reduced with decoctions of tansy flowers. The medicine is prepared from a cup of distilled water and 90 g of grass. The basis for lotions is boiled for 10 minutes, be sure to cool. Warm compresses only increase the discomfort. In the broth, gauze dressings are moistened and bandaged the affected leg for 2-3 hours. You can periodically water the fabric so that it stays moist and cool.
4. With severe inflammation, aloe helps. The plant draws excess moisture, tones blood vessels and ligaments. A tensile mask is prepared from several large sheets, ground in a meat grinder. Spread a thick layer of aloe on the affected limb, capturing healthy areas. Wrap with a plastic bag and elastic bandages. Removed after 20-40 minutes, when the plant mask begins to heat up.
5. Pour 3 minced garlic heads into a glass of water. Cover the container with the workpiece for 2 hours with a plate or lid so that volatile products do not evaporate from the spicy medicine. Add strained juice from one large lemon to the strained composition. Soak gauze dressings in garlic tincture. Phytoncides soothe inflammation, and the citrus component removes edema and resolves hematomas.
6. The injured foot is treated with a mask from one large bulb. The product is crushed to a mushy state, fray with 30 g of table or sea salt. The paste is fixed on the leg with a cling film and elastic bandage.
7. Fresh elderberry leaves help stretch the legs. The vegetable stock is washed, rubbed in a mortar or knead with your hands, like dough, until juice appears. The medicine is laid out in 2-3 layers on the injured joint, fixed with bandages. The dressing is refreshed three times a day.
8. If the patient has not only a hematoma and edema, but also wounds or scratches, use a clay mask. A creamy mass is prepared from powder and water, into which 15–20 ml of apple, and if not, table vinegar is added. Mix with 1 minced garlic clove. The skin is first wiped with any antiseptic: diluted alcohol, peroxide or vodka. Calendula tincture and even salicylic acid are suitable. In a clay mass, a cotton towel is moistened so that the fabric is well saturated with the composition. The compress is wrapped around a disinfected foot, secured with a plastic bag and wrapped in a joint with a woolen cloth to improve blood circulation. Remove after 2 hours, rinse the leg with a herbal decoction and rub the ointment into it.

Mobility recovery

In the early days, it is important to remove puffiness and pain. Then the patient needs to reduce the hematoma and start the regeneration of damaged ligaments. To restore foot mobility, folk remedies can be used.

Helps a bath of elderberry. Fresh fruits are boiled for 10-15 minutes. The liquid is drained, the cake is kneaded and also added to the broth.The diseased leg is immersed in elderberry compote for 20-30 minutes, periodically adding hot water.

You can take foot baths with mustard. Spice warms and accelerates blood circulation in injured tissues, so the hematoma resolves faster. For 5-6 liters of fluid, take only 1 tbsp. l powder. Stir the ingredients thoroughly to dissolve the mustard. The diseased leg is immersed for 5 minutes, then the same amount of rest. The procedure is repeated several times. The remains of the mustard solution are washed off with plain water or a soothing broth.

Swelling is reduced due to homemade milk. The product is heated to 55-60 degrees, a piece of gauze is moistened in it. Slightly wring out and apply to the damaged ligaments. Wrap a thick layer of cotton wool and cling film on top. The compress is removed after an hour, repeated twice or thrice a day.

At home, you can prepare an anti-inflammatory ointment. The composition of the remedy for sprain includes:

• garlic - 2 cloves;
• eucalyptus leaves - 50-60 g;
• pork or goose fat - 200 g.

The dried plant is ground into powder. Spicy vegetable finely chopped. The ingredients are poured into the fat, melted in a water bath, and boiled for 10 minutes. The ointment is insisted for several hours, reheated and filtered. Garlic-eucalyptus medicine is rubbed into the injured leg three times a day.

To repair damaged ligaments, you need to perform special exercises. At first, these are slow circular movements of the foot to the right and left. Then you need to tilt your leg to yourself and stretch the sock in the opposite direction. If gymnastics causes uncomfortable sensations, you need to stop the session. Injured ligaments and joints must not be overextended, otherwise the inflammation will intensify and swelling will again appear.

Patients with this problem benefit from warming up and electrical procedures. You can book a massage to restore metabolic processes in the soft tissues.

Sprain can be treated only with home remedies, but it is better to combine compresses and foot baths with ointments, anti-inflammatory drugs and special gymnastics. Before using any method, it is necessary to consult with a traumatologist and make sure that this is not a fracture or soft tissue rupture requiring surgical intervention.

Video: therapeutic massage for stretching the muscles and ligaments of the ankle