Home remedies are appropriate to use for inflammation and leg pain relief in conditions as varied as leg strains, traumatic injury and arthritis. Doctors encourage self-care as an effective way to control chronic pain in degenerative conditions and to regain fitness after an accident. Joint and musculoskeletal pain usually respond well to a combination of home treatments. In the case of muscle strains and other moderate injuries, the body will heal on its own when pain and swelling are reduced.
Activity Restriction
Whatever the cause of leg pain, taking the weight off one or both legs will grant patients instant pain relief. Making one leg work twice as hard may be detrimental, so a day or two of bed rest may be advised, report the National Institutes of Health, or NIH. After that, moving about should take place within pain limits. Elevating the leg while resting can reduce swelling in acute leg strain injuries.
Use of Leg Aids
As patients regain mobility, the leg should still be protected from weight stress while pain persists. The NIH notes that using crutches or a cane eases leg strain, while wearing a compression bandage or leg wrap adds support and acts to keep swelling in check.
Temperature Therapy
Cold or hot compresses are effective nonmedicinal home remedies for leg pain and inflammation. This is an important factor in long-term management of chronic arthritis, osteoporosis, or degenerative spinal conditions that affect the legs. Temperature therapy is also the recommended first aid treatment for acute muscle strains, fractures, joint sprains and other leg injuries, according to the NYU Langone Medical Center.
Cold packs should be applied when swelling is present, especially for the first three days after a traumatic injury. The University of Maryland Medical Center reports that hot packs or alternating hot and cold packs may relieve pain more effectively thereafter. These home remedies can be used for 15 minutes or longer at a time, for up to four sessions daily.
Pain Relief Medicine
It’s OK to take over-the-counter drugs such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen or aspirin along with nonmedicinal pain relief remedies. The NYU Langone Medical Center suggests continuing to restrict activity while taking these drugs until the leg pain is gone, rather than using medication to “play through” leg strain symptoms.
Recuperative Exercises
Too much rest, however, will leave muscles stiff and weak. The NIH counsels a slow return to regular activities and daily performance of exercises that utilize the leg’s range of motion. A gradual increase in the level of exercise will bring the leg muscles back to full strength.
Member Comments