Swollen joints usually occur due to inflammation of the tissues in the joint or because of a build-up of fluids in the tissues surrounding the joint. Often accompanied by pain, it is usually due to a medical condition such as arthritis, pseudogout, gout, infections or even mild to severe traumas to the joint. Since the swelling is normally a symptom of another underlying medical condition, you should get the problem diagnosed correctly and get adequate treatment for it. If the swelling is accompanied by discoloration of the joint, excruciating pain or fever, you should consult a doctor immediately for accurate diagnosis and treatment. However, sometimes there may be swelling without any pain or obvious reason, in which case you can resort to some simple home remedies to reduce the swelling.
Applying a regular cold fomentation or an ice pack on the joint can help to reduce the inflammation and swelling. You should avoid applying hot fomentation, especially if there is no pain, since that will only aggravate the swelling. You can also apply a poultice prepared with herbs such as St. John's Wort or Devil's claw to reduce the swelling. A poultice prepared with cold cabbage leaves is also beneficial in reducing swelling. In addition to this, you should increase your consumption of ginger which has anti-inflammatory properties and helps to reduce swelling. You can either grate some fresh ginger and consume it with some honey or consume it in the form of the herbal pills available in the market. You can also steep some ginger in water and prepare a decoction which can be consumed twice a day. Turmeric is also said to be beneficial in reducing swelling of the joints, so you should consume fresh turmeric. You can take a piece of turmeric, roast and powder it and consume 1 tsp daily with some honey. Application of a paste of turmeric on the joints can also help to reduce the swelling. Similarly pineapple is also recommended for reducing swelling since it contains an extract known as bromelain which has anti-inflammatory properties. You can either consume the fresh fruit or extract the juice and drink at least 1 glass daily. Omega 3 fatty acids are excellent for reducing swelling related to arthritis and other problems of the joint so you can increase your intake of fish and other food products rich in this nutrient. A regular massage using olive oil, Vitamin E oil or primrose oil can also work wonders for the swelling. Finally if nothing else works, you should consider consulting a physiotherapist for adequate therapy.
answered by M W