He says : "A poultice using bicarbonate of soda is used to decrease the swelling in and around a joint or draw out fluid or oedema from under the skin. The joint swelling may be because there is fluid within the joint, or that the covering of the joint (the synovium which holds the fluid in the joint) is "waterlogged" and this produces a boggy swelling of the joint."
Here's how to make one!
1. Gather your equipment : a bag of baking soda, some water (warm or cold, up to you), a mixing spoon, a bowl, and a piece of scrap fabric (old shirt / t-shirt etc).
2. Mix roughly 2 cups of the baking soda with enough water to make a firm paste, roughly the thickness of bread dough. It should be soft and moist, but not runny.
3. Place the lump of baking soda onto your square of fabric.
4. Tie up opposite corners, to make a neat little bundle like so. There should be just one layer of fabric under the poultice.
5. Sit or lie down for an hour, with the poultice sitting or lightly strapped onto your swollen knee, ankle, wherever ... I usually keep a face washer or towel handy, as it can drip a bit.
After the hour is up, put the baking soda mix into a lidded container, rinse and dry the fabric, and reuse the next day (just add a bit more water to get the paste consistency again).Dr Reid says you should refrigerate the poultice, and replace the baking soda after about 3 or 4 uses, but really, I don't see how that would be necessary, as it's never going to go off ... I've used the same batch of un-refrigerated baking soda for more than a week without problems, it still fizzes slightly when I add water.
He goes on to say : "The bicarbonate of soda poultice will draw the fluids out of the joint over a period of time, and this commonly takes 7 to 10 days, especially for a joint that has a boggy swelling for more than 1 or 2 days. The poultice can be used in association with any other treatment that is being used, and does not cause any skin problem."
Doing it for a week already, Jejune - so does it work? I need to get some baking soda for this nasty wasp or bee sting I got yesterday. I guess I ought to take a picture of it and share with everyone - it's nasty looking. If it spreads tomorrow, I may have to see doctor.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I hope the poultice is working nicely!
Please understand that wasp venom and bee venom are different. Bicarbonate of soda will help with wasp stings (which are acidic) but not with bee stings, they need an acid like vinegar. If you don't know what stung you . . . a bee leaves it's stinger (and venom sac) behind and only stings once. A wasp leaves no stinger and may sting more than oce
DeleteHow interesting. I'll be bookmarking that bit of advice. Thanks.
ReplyDeletei love it. A poultice just sounds so medieval!
ReplyDeleteThat piece of advice will come in handy for DH. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea. I remember my grandmother using poultices and they were very soothing. I like the idea of it not being made of toxic materials.
ReplyDeleteAnd I have never heard of a boggy joint, but how descriptive that is!
ReplyDeleteOh, this is a good tip. I have to try it on my ankle which always swells. Fell a number of years ago and it just goes up & down.
ReplyDeleteOh that sounds really interesting though I doubt I could be still for that long and I really need to line some shoes with it for my feet and ankles!!!! I hope it makes you feel better.
ReplyDeleteHi Jejune,
ReplyDeleteI am a physio here in Canberra and also on suggestion of Dr Reid, pass on the idea of this poultice to my clients. This is a great blog with your great pictures. I am always losing the recipe, so will pass on this link to your blog to my clients if that is OK with you. Thanks again. Chris Bacchus - Southside Physiotherapy.
You're very welcome to give out the link to your patients, Chris, I'm glad you find it helpful :)
ReplyDeleteHow often do you apply the poultice? Once a day for an hour?
DeleteThanks
Thanks fellow Canberran. Son came home with a very swollen/fluidy knee today. His PE teacer had mentioned this approach. I had never heard of it then came across your blog when researching. Will gve it a go!
ReplyDeleteYes, once a day for an hour ... but it's such a mild treatment, I doubt it would cause any problem if you had two sessions a day.
ReplyDeleteMy father had old football injuries and my mum was an old school nursing sister. She would apply at night and leave it attached all night while he slept. Would keep in place by wrapping with glad wrap.
ReplyDeleteGood tip about the plastic wrap!
DeleteHad arthroscopic knee surgery for a medial meniscus tear on April 1st and knee joint is still swollen :(. Besides the traditional RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation)., I'm going to try this out. Will let everyone know how it goes. So far, having it on the knee is soothing if nothing else.
ReplyDeleteGood luck, Kim, hope you have a smooth recovery. I'm using the poultice every day at the moment too, for an insertional tendonitis on my knee. It is soothing, isn't it!
DeleteDoes this work for Plantar Fasciitis pain?
ReplyDeleteHmmm, I don't know — it's probably worth trying, as plantar fasciitis does involve inflammation. Let me know if it provides any relief — you can be our guinea pig :)
Deletemy knee is filled with fluid again after 2 needle aspirations,,, i'm going to try the baking soda.. i use baking soda for other purposes so hopefully this remedy will work also.. thanks for the advice..blessings, sg
DeleteGood luck, I hope it helps!
DeleteThe swelling in my feet is terrible. I'm definitely going to try this approach. I've tried everything else. I elevate my feet everyday for over an hour, and the swelling goes down just a tad. But comes right back as soon as I'm on my feet or sitting. It doesn't matter which. Shoes barely fit, and I constantly feel pain in the ankle and top of feet. Praying this works. Don't want to have to see a doc.
ReplyDeleteOh dear, that sounds awful. But promise me, if this doesn't help, DO go see a doctor. Could be a symptom of a circulation or kidney problem :/
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