Bones & Joints
Sprains and Strains
Injury to ligaments (sprain) or muscles and tendons (strain) from overstretching or sudden force — effectively treated with alternating hot and cold hydrotherapy, herbal liniments, and gentle rehabilitation exercises.
Also known as: Sprain, Strain, Muscle Strain, Ligament Sprain, Charley Horse, Pulled Muscle
📝 At a glance
Likely root causes: Excessive lifting with improper form; Sudden twists, turns, or stops (common in sports); Falls.
First thing to try: IMMEDIATE: Find the position of the injured part that hurts the LEAST; hold it there for 2 minutes with deep, regular breathing; slowly return to normal position — often solves minor sprains
See a doctor if: If the joint cannot bear weight, is visibly deformed, or if swelling is severe (to rule out fracture).
🔎 Start with the cause
Lasting relief rarely comes from covering a symptom. First find what is feeding the problem, change what you can, and then help the body do what it was designed to do — heal.
Likely root causes
- Excessive lifting with improper form
- Sudden twists, turns, or stops (common in sports)
- Falls
- Overuse (cumulative minor strains)
- Slipping or stumbling on uneven surfaces
Change what you can
- IMMEDIATE: Find the position of the injured part that hurts the LEAST; hold it there for 2 minutes with deep, regular breathing; slowly return to normal position — often solves minor sprains
- If still painful: find the tender point; press lightly until nearly unbearable pain; hold until pain eases (about 1 minute) — this reduces maximum muscle contraction
- HYDROTHERAPY -- WRIST, ELBOW, OR ANKLE (most effective method, once any acute swelling from a fresh injury has settled): immerse in comfortably warm water (around 40 C / 104 F, tested with the hand first, never hot enough to redden skin) for 20-30 minutes; every few minutes plunge briefly into cold water for 1 minute, then back to warm; repeat for several days twice daily with massage in between -- this works much better than ice alone.
- RICE METHOD (alternative): Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation — apply ice 20-30 min, 3-4 times daily the day of injury; wrap with elastic bandage (snugly but not cutting off circulation); elevate above heart level
- For back or shoulder injuries: apply a fomentationA hot, moist cloth pressed on the body — classic hydrotherapy. How to make a fomentation → cloth wrung out hot but not scalding (test it on your forearm first), follow with a brief cool application, and massage gently.
- Slowly move the injured part while it is warm from hot water — without stretching or stressing beyond comfortable limits
- BROMELAIN: 125-450 mg, 3 times daily on an empty stomach — research shows it speeds healing of sprains, contusions, and soft tissue injuries
- Daily calcium (1,500-2,000 mg), magnesium (750-1,000 mg), manganese (15 mg), and a multivitamin support healing
- CHRISTOPHER LINIMENT: 2 oz. lobelia fluid extract + 2 oz. cayenne + 1 tsp each of spearmint oil, rosemary oil, and wormwood oil; apply and place a hot water bottle on top
- KLOSS LINIMENT: 2 oz. myrrh + 1 oz. goldenseal + ½ oz. cayenne; rub gently on affected area
- POULTICEMashed plant material applied right on the skin. How to make a poultice →: burdock leaves; or towels wrung out of hot burdock or catnip teaA warm drink made by steeping herbs in hot water. How to make a tea → applied several times daily
- Apple cider vinegar compresses (newspaper strips soaked in vinegar, wrapped airtight) often relieve sprains
- EXERCISES after healing: ANKLE — trace capital letters A-Z with foot; SHOULDER — pendulum swings, circles, figure-eights with the arm while bending forward; THUMB — twiddle in circles, touch each finger
🌿 Then assist nature: remedies & protocols
With the cause being addressed, these are the actual things people do for this — ranked by the community. Vote ▲ on what helped you and ▼ on what didn't, and open How to do it for the steps. Each shows two quick signals: Evidence (how much science backs it) and Gentleness (how safe and in keeping with whole, natural health).
★ Start here — our first-line pick, pinned for safety
R.I.C.E. is the standard first response for a fresh sprain or strain.
How to do it ▾
Why it works: Rest keeps you from worsening the injury, cold narrows blood vessels to limit swelling and numb pain, gentle compression supports the joint and controls fluid buildup, and raising the part above heart level lets gravity drain swelling away.
- Rest the injured joint and stop activity that puts weight or stress on it.
- Wrap ice in a thin cloth and apply for about 20 minutes, then off — never place ice directly on skin.
- Repeat the ice roughly once an hour while awake for the first day, then 3 to 4 times a day after that.
- Wrap an elastic bandage firmly but not tightly to support the area; loosen it if toes or fingers tingle or turn pale.
- Prop the injured limb up on pillows, above heart level, especially while resting or sleeping.
First 24–48 hours after injury · Ice about hourly day one, then 3–4 times daily
Caution: If you cannot bear weight or use the limb, or the joint looks deformed, it may be a fracture — get it checked. Do not leave ice on longer than 20 minutes at a time or place it directly on skin; you can cause a cold injury. A wrap that causes numbness, tingling, increased pain, or pale/blue skin is too tight — loosen it immediately.
When to get help: Seek prompt care for severe pain, an obvious deformity, numbness, inability to move or bear weight, or swelling that keeps worsening.
Comments & experiences ▾
How the numbers work: a weighted voting system — trusted published sources cast endorsement votes for each protocol, and your ▲/▼ adds to them. Not medical advice.
🩺 When to see a doctor
- If the joint cannot bear weight, is visibly deformed, or if swelling is severe (to rule out fracture).
- Shoulder sprains and significant knee injuries should be evaluated to rule out rotator cuff or ACL tears.
🌿 The seven pathways to health
Seven pathways for your sprains and strains — tap the circle to check one off (saved on your device), or ask Remy for help.
“Disease is an effort of nature to free the system from conditions that result from a violation of the laws of health... In case of sickness 1cause should be ascertained, 2go to work intelligently to remove the disease. 3Unhealthful conditions should be changed, 4wrong habits corrected. 5Then nature is to be assisted in her effort 6to expel impurities and 7to re-establish right conditions in the system.”
🌿 Overview
A sprain is a painful stretching or tearing of joint ligaments beyond their normal range — from excessive lifting, sudden stops or turns, or falls. Severe sprains involve torn ligaments, torn joint capsules, bleeding, and swelling. Strains are overstretched or torn muscles or tendons. Contrary to common practice, alternating hot and cold applications (not ice alone) significantly speeds recovery — especially for wrist, elbow, and ankle injuries. Using alternating hot/cold, you may walk on a sprained ankle in half the time compared to ice-only treatment.
A sprain is an injury to a ligament (the tissue connecting bone to bone), while a strain injures a muscle or its tendon — both happen when tissue is overstretched or torn by a sudden twist, wrench, or force. They cause pain, swelling, bruising, and limited movement, most commonly at the ankles, wrists, and knees.
Most mild to moderate sprains and strains heal well with the time-honored approach of rest, ice, compression, and elevation in the first day or two, followed by gentle movement and gradual return to activity rather than prolonged immobility. Warmth later and gentle strengthening aid recovery. An injury with severe pain, marked swelling, an inability to bear weight or use the joint, an obvious deformity, or numbness should be assessed medically to rule out a fracture or serious tear.
Common signs
- Immediate pain at the site of injury
- Swelling and bruising developing over minutes to hours
- Tenderness to touch at the injured area
- Limited range of motion in the affected joint
- For severe sprains: significant swelling, inability to bear weight or use the joint
🍃 Supporting foods & habits
The gentle, everyday foods and supports that help in the background — secondary to the active remedies above. Vote on what helped you.
Ice the injury for 15–20 minutes several times in the first 48 hours to limit swelling.940
Rest and elevate the injured limb above heart level, with compression, to reduce swelling.940
After the first two days, switch to gentle warmth to loosen the area and improve blood flow.900
How the numbers work: this is a weighted voting system — every published book or article recommending a remedy counts as an endorsement vote, and your ▲/▼ counts too. Not medical advice. *Ties are broken by our editor score (sources, safety, simplicity, cost, lifestyle fit, eight-laws alignment).
🍽️ Eating to help
Food is one of the gentlest medicines — small, steady changes help most.
Favor these
- Pineapple (bromelain enzyme — speeds soft tissue healing)
- Fresh raw vegetable juices
- Calcium and magnesium (1,500-2,000 mg calcium, 750-1,000 mg magnesium)
- Anti-inflammatory herbs: boswellia, ginger
Go easy on
- Inflammatory foods: meat, processed foods, refined sugar
Bromelain from pineapple is one of the best-researched natural agents for sprains and soft tissue injury — clinically speeds healing of hematomas and contusions.
⚖️ Good to know
- If you cannot bear weight after an ankle sprain, or if there is severe swelling and deformity, rule out fracture with X-ray
- Very severe sprains with torn ligaments may require immobilization or even surgery
- Do not stretch or stress the joint beyond comfortable limits during the hot water treatment
- Do NOT wrap an elastic bandage too tightly — it can cut off circulation and worsen swelling below the injury
⚕️ What a doctor may offerConventional treatments for this condition — for your information.Show ▾
RemedyRank's heart is natural healing — and honest information. Here is what conventional medical care commonly involves for this condition, listed to inform, never to promote. Decisions about treatment belong with you and your own physician.
Sprains and strains are treated with the RICE approach and graded return to activity.
Commonly offered
- Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation (RICE) early on–
- OTC pain relief (NSAIDs, acetaminophen)–
- Gradual movement and strengthening as it heals–
- Physical therapy for severe or slow-healing injuries–
Worth knowing
- Inability to use/bear weight on the joint, or a deformity, may mean a fracture — get it checked.
- Severe swelling or no improvement in a few days warrants evaluation.
- Returning too soon causes re-injury.
👍/👎 shares whether a treatment helped you — community experience, not medical advice. For full professional details, see the sources under “Learn more” below.
📚 Learn more
Sources for further reading. These open in a new tab.
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