Dealing with swelling

YogaJones

Hey all

I'm looking for a bit of advice regarding swelling. My knee isn't currently painful but very swollen and it feels funny, especially walking upstairs, like its floating. In turn it's making me feel a bit funny!

I commute so am out at work over 12 hours a day and need a practical way to remedy this. My first choice would be an ice pack but I don't have access to a freezer. I guess my options are:
Ibuprofen gel
Deep freeze gel
Disposable ice packs
Oral NSAIDS (last resort!)

What do people find most successful in reducing swelling from the above?

Thanks
Yoga x

dibdab

Ice, as you say is ideal, anti- inflammatories are useful. Personally I don't find the gels or sprays very useful, but if a particular joint eg knee/ankle are swollen I normally resort to a knee or ankle support whilst I'm out and about.


Deb

dreamdaisy

Is the joint hot to the touch? If so then RICE is the way to go (rest, ice, compression, elevation) but that is not practical at work. I do not normally advocate the use of knee supports but they could be helpful in preventing this from happening: they should not be worn for long period of time because they weaken the leg muscles. I used to wrap a bag of frozen Petit Pois in a tea towel then place it around my knee. My PsA needs this but my OA prefers heat.

If inflammation is a constant problem then medication may be the appropriate answer, for many that is a hard pill to swallow (pun intended) but these things work. You sound rather lucky, I had massive inflammation and massive pain too; no longer have the former, still have the latter. My PsA inflammation (which affects the whole body) happens very rarely now thanks to the drugs, the OA inflammation is localised and self-induced so easily controlled. DD

bluerose623

YogaJones wrote:

Hey all

I'm looking for a bit of advice regarding swelling. My knee isn't currently painful but very swollen and it feels funny, especially walking upstairs, like its floating. In turn it's making me feel a bit funny!

I commute so am out at work over 12 hours a day and need a practical way to remedy this. My first choice would be an ice pack but I don't have access to a freezer. I guess my options are:
Ibuprofen gel
Deep freeze gel
Disposable ice packs
Oral NSAIDS (last resort!)

What do people find most successful in reducing swelling from the above?

Thanks
Yoga x

What I find that works for me is arnica, you can find it in creams or lotions over the counter. I just go online and buy the herb itself or if you have an herb shop near by, you may find it there as well. All you do is boil the flower, once it boils for 10 mins or so... I turn off the heat. I grab a towel, usually one that I dont use to shower with anymore... grab a strainer and throw out the flower but keep the water in a bowl. Let it cool just a bit until I can handle the heat. I soak the towel and lay it over my knee. I do this as much as I need to or until the water has been used up. This takes me about an hour but boy does it give relief. You can also drink it as a tea but since your discomfort is the knee I suggest you give this method a try. I also take supplements as both my knees are horrid due to cheer-leading accidents. I found it through Amazon and they have other supplements as well that work amazing! PRIMAL Joint Support & Healthy Inflammation, works wonders for my back and knee pain. I am a chef and standing around causes soooo much pain. Even after buying the fancy kitchen shoes for comfort. I have been taking this for over 1.5 months. I do not even look at my aleve anymore. This supplement and with the arnica do the trick. I hope my home remedy works wonders for you. Stay strong!