Yesterday I was listening to musician/actor Jack Black on the Smartless podcast. He mentioned that he was a guest on Conan O’Brien’s last Late Night TV show in June of 2020.
Something that I have always known or assumed, when you are watching say Late Night with Dave Letterman (I know, he’s now retired) and he does one of his bits where he gets up and leaves the stage to go, say, down to the street below or into a back office, all of the footage you see was filmed in advance and the host is merely sitting down offstage while it runs. Their only problem is continuity, to be sure he is wearing the same clothing for both the advance shots and the live broadcast.
So the day before Black was shooting footage for the following day’s show down at street level, and for some reason the bit required him to run from the street into the building where the show was filmed. He came upon uneven pavement and managed to severely sprain his ankle. Because the network (TBS) is cautious and thorough, they put him in an ambulance and took him to the emergency room. He was able to do his appearance on the show the following day, and they used the footage from the prior day too for the bit, except for the sprain.
One of the hosts of the podcast asked him how long it took for the ankle to heal. This was two years after the injury. He answered that it still had not healed, and that he didn’t think that it ever would.
On January 30 of this year I was cross country skiing and had a fall. That is common, and I was not injured, as part of XC is to fall properly on your ass. However, in getting up I managed to hyper extend my ankle, i.e., sprain it, just as Black did. A sprain is usually damage to a ligament, either torn or stressed. When mine did not heal within a month, I visited a podiatrist and was given physical therapy appointments for a couple of months. They did no good.
It is now 5-1/2 months after the injury, and there is no improvement. I wonder if it is ever going to heal. The physical therapist said that it would, eventually, heal, and to keep up with normal activities as if it were not damaged. So I do go to the gym, use a treadmill, do weight-bearing lifting that involves the ankle, and even the dreaded StairMaster. I have also gone on hikes, the longest 9+ miles. I wear a brace for all these activities, but I am wondering now if I was given good advice.
I cannot bear the thought of staying off the foot. Typical of a gym rat, I fear if I do not work out regularly, I will backslide. We rats are a bit obsessive that way.
Has anyone reading this had a similar experience? Offer any advice? Do ankle sprains indeed heal … eventually?
Thanks for helping.
Piece of Mindful 
Hi Mark,
I would look into DMSO. Amandha Vollmer has written alot about it. I think it is a powerful healing agent. Best regards, db
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Thanks, I will give it a try. “Early studies in animals and humans showed that DMSO rapidly penetrates the skin and quickly relieves the pain and inflammation associated with injuries such as ankle sprains.”
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Hope it helps you out. I have healed with turpentine for neurologic and joint inflammation.
https://fakeologist.com/forums2/viewtopic.php?t=543&sid=4e99dafa993e5b45ac5a8e310f628b13
https://yummy.doctor/video-list/dmso-concentrations-healing-with-dmso/
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https://drchristophersherbs.com/products/complete-tissue-bone-ointment
with dmso
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I dropped a laptop just above my instep Thursday night and it almost drew blood. Immediately applied a layer of arnica montana gel, next layer of DMSO cream followed by colloidal silver gel. I didn’t ice it but went straight to bed. Next morning no swelling, discoloration or pain. Saturday a layer of damaged skin peeled off. Sunday morning good as new. You’re not getting DMSO in a hospital – just a bill.
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I hear Human Growth Hormones help athletes heal quicker. They are banned by MLB for some reason. Don’t know what they do to blood pressure. I think some stars are allowed to heal faster and use it with tacit approval. Probably not a thing for us of older vintage. (I’m an old 64)
I only hurt myself when asleep. Lower back pain or groin/thigh strains. (I flop around in bed like a fish gasping for breath on a wet dock.) I do careful stretching and go easy for a day or two. Recently I got a treadmill and my sometimes persistent leg/hip issues have abated. Though I don’t even play a doctor on TV, I’d say find a way to exercise without putting weight on the ankle. The gym at my mom’s assisted living facility has all kinds of contraptions and aids for body parts that no longer function. There must be something to help take the weight off while still breaking a sweat.
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Our gym is very well equipped, and there are two new ellipticals there. On Friday I got on one thinking I’d do 5-10 minutes of warmup, but the ankle felt so good I did a half hour. That will be my choice over a treadmill.
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Organic turmeric. I mix mine with food. Some people drink it in water.
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Turmeric is toxic. Avoid it.
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I do turmeric every day. It alleviated arthritic problems. I’ve taken it that way for about 17 years. It also has helped with small cuts, etc. It certainly isn’t toxic.
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Turmeric isn’t toxic. I’ve used it virtually every day for about 17 years. It alleviated serious arthritic problems and helped with small cuts, etc.
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Many drugs are used to alleviate symptoms, but cause long term damage. Herbal remedies are no different. The toxicity of compounds in turmeric has been studied and documented. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20667459/
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Till,
While herbs can contain some toxic compounds, have serious side effects, and even potentially cause long term damage, I think it is a strong (and possibly inaccurate) statement to say that “herbal remedies are no different” than pharmaceutical drugs, and to claim that “turmeric is toxic.” I have found over many years that when sourced properly and reputably, and consumed responsibly (as in juicing the organic root and ingesting the organic powdered root), turmeric has wonderful healing properties. There is a reason why it has been used for thousands of years successfully in Ayurvedic healing protocols.
Click to access TurmericAyurveda.pdf
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235078476_Turmeric_in_Ayurveda
https://www.madebyyoke.com/blogs/all-paths-lead-within/the-healing-role-of-turmeric-in-ayurveda
With regard to turmeric, in particular, can you provide us with a more legitimate study in this regard? What can be revealed from this short abstract – without a detailed methodology section and conclusion?
It should be noted that both authors of the abstract you linked work in biotechnology. The one author, S. Balagi, is an expert in Biomimetics, Computational Drug Design, and Cheminformatics (https://manipal.edu/mit/department-faculty/faculty-list/balaji-seetharaman.html) as well as, nano-biotech (https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=w6N3sScAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=sra). It seems his “studies” are in silico. I think we all know what that implies these days. But perhaps he did engage in an authentic study of turmeric (one not based on computer modeling)? Thus far, I am unable to find a detailed paper on turmeric authored by S. Balagi that demonstrates its toxicity in humans.
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I myself have a bizarre, debilitating neuro-metabolic imbalance. Drugs do nothing but harm. Whole food, exercise, herbs have proved efficacious in the extreme.
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Perhaps only when taken in large doses, but upto a spoon of turmeric powder (or 10% of a decently-sized fresh turmeric root) every day is fine and the benefits are many.
Here a pinch of turmeric powder is typically added in cooking curries and vegetables. The use is daily.
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Exactly. Anyone who has ever eaten prepared mustard has consumed turmeric as there is more turmeric than actual mustard in the preparation.
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So repeated small doses of toxins over time are safe? Don’t they build up in the tissues and cause an unnecessary burden on the body’s detox systems?
Here many people use caffeine and alcohol daily. Is that fine?
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By labeling it a “toxin” you slant the question. It isn’t a “toxin”. It is a root with medicinal properties. Countless foods, countless substances both natural and artificial are beneficial but must be taken in moderation. Turmeric would have to be massively dosed before any harmful effects occurred. It’s benefits are immediate.
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Till,
You still have not yet provided us with any solid evidence demonstrating that turmeric is toxic. That said, when it comes to the repeated use of toxins in small doses . . . If you look into the concept of hormesis, theoretically, certain toxins may be potentially safe (if dosed in very small amounts over time). I do not see how turmeric has any relevance though. https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/full/10.1289/ehp.8606
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Stephers, I suspect that “Till…” is trolling.
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Arnica gel allowed to stay on the skin activates an electric healing current in the body. I read about this in Dr Robert Becker’s book on natural electrical healing currents….
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Thanks – I marked that page, but will got with DMSO first.
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I use methylsulfonylmethane or MSM powder. Seems to always work, unless it’s just a placebo and I just convince myself to think it’s working. But I do feel better and the exercise pain disappears after a week of adding it to my milkshakes or juice.
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DMSO is the parent of MSM. It’s a family affair.
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If you can find a gym/rehab that has a zero-gravity treadmill like this: https://www.alterg.com/anti-gravity-treadmills/pro
it may significantly help your ankle.
Having had a severe lisfranc foot injury (3 surgeries) & fearing never walking again,
this machine was the key to my complete recovery after 2 months at 50 y.o.
All the best.
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Wow! We have nothing like that, nor will we soon. It’s a great gym, but that machine would more likely be found in professional sports training facilities.
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The idea of a ‘remedy’ to initiate healing is a fiction of the anti-nature religion we’ve been born into. The body has everything it needs to heal, and does so automatically, to the degree that we allow it. Rockefeller medicine and ‘remedies’ are all about interfering, and not allowing it.
Why would one want to reduce swelling, or block pain? Swelling/inflammation is the body sending more blood and interstitial fluids to the injured area because the fluids are transporting more worker cells and nutrients and carrying away the dead tissue debris. And likewise, the heightened sensitivity in the injured area is a clear warning system to prevent further injury while the area is in a weakened state.
So someone seeking to reduce the swelling and/or pain is really seeking to stop the healing. It matters not if the chosen toxin is ‘natural’ or some petrochemical made by Pfizer, the effect and the mentality are the same: stopping the body from healing naturally.
Tendon, ligament, and cartilage injuries just take a long time to heal, because these tissues have very sparse and very tiny blood vessels, and because they repair only a small section at a time because the tissue needs to continue with it’s structural duties.
In my 20’s I tore a hamstring right at the top near the ligament, and it took 5 years to heal. I didn’t go to any doctor or therapist, because thankfully I had natural instincts that knew healing only happens by the innate life force inside.
When I was 40 I badly broke my right ankle in a motorcycle racing crash. The tibia and fibula were both broken right at the ankle, a bunch of tendons were torn, the joints were all dislocated; I smashed it good. Some friends helped me pack up my racing trailer and I drove home to PA from Loudon, NH. The next morning I went to my chiropractor because my spine was all jacked up, and he demanded that I go get a x-ray of the ankle and see a orthopedic surgeon before he would touch me. Of course the surgeon told me I needed surgery or else I wouldn’t ever walk on that foot again, and he berated me for not immediately going to the ER in New Hampshire. I thanked him and departed, got my spine adjusted so I could stand up straight again, and I trusted my instincts which were telling me that no matter how bad this injury seemed, my body has the ability to heal it. It was swollen to three times the normal diameter, which was actually helping to immobilize it, and there was no pain at all unless I tried to put weight on it. I borrowed a pair of crutches, and I paid attention to the pain signals to not put too much weight on it. I applied essential oils topically, which seem to help the body energetically, and trusted my body to do the rest. It took several months before I could start putting even a small amount of weight on it, and in 6 months I was walking on it gingerly without the crutches. Over the next ten years or so it slowly healed, and occasionally I’d get the instinct to flex it hard a certain way, and I’d feel a pop as something went back into place. That injury was almost 20 years ago, and I’d do it the same way again.
In my 50’s I started bicycle racing, and have separated both shoulders in racing crashes. For those who don’t know, a separated shoulder is when the outer end of the clavicle tears away from the shoulder joint from a severe impact. It involves tearing of several tendons, and doctors say it doesn’t heal and requires surgery. Both of my shoulders have healed to the point that the clavicles don’t pull out of the joints anymore. It just took time and patience, and trusting my body. In the beginning, both times, I couldn’t find a brace that would keep the clavicle in the joint so it could heal, so I had to focus on it all day long, and figure out how to position myself sleeping so the bone would stay in the joint. Over time they would pop out again less and less, and eventually, after a year or two, they just stopped popping out. If I’d roll onto one of the shoulders in bed, I’d instantly wake up and could feel the joint was about to pull out, and I’d catch it before it happened. Eventually at some point I could start to sleep with weight on the shoulder for brief periods, and it just slowly got stronger from there.
So if there’s any ‘remedy, it’s a 50/50 mixture of natural instincts and attentive reasoning ability. In other words, it’s consciousness.
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Also “Arth Relieve” from Penn Herb in Phila. You have to be a member to mail order, but it’s free and immediate to become a member.
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Here in India people who do herbal remedies apply the oil of seeds of Neem (botanical name – Azadirachta indica) for such sprains, mild or severe. It should be massaged gently on the affected part once daily or at least 4-5 times a week.
Another similar oil remedy is Mustard. The oil extracted from the seeds of Mustard plant is helpful in healing the sprain and muscle pulls in any part of the body. Keep the application frequency as that in Neem oil.
Wishing you effective healing.
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first Mark, there is nothing you can do but hope for improvement. Stop fearing and welcome changes. This places regenerate very slow. Use the force of your conscious mind. Think how the ankle will get better and it will get better. I really believe in that kind of thinking. I don’t believe in magic cures. Not medical and not natural. I once hurt my knee and doctors wanted to operate the meniscus but I rejected and it took me over a year of stumbling until it got better and another year until everything went away. Back then I tried to make one or two squats and it hurt, I now make 20 every morning with ease and no pain at all.
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My husband had a similar experience with his knee. Hadn’t healed after more than a year and an MRI revealed micro tears. He did PRP (injection of your own plasma into the injured area.) This was not covered by insurance but nothing else (including months of physical therapy) helped. The plasma injection occurred in Feb 2022, he could not exercise for 6 weeks, and has been slowly getting back to running and feels that his knee, though not 100%, is better than it’s been since he injured it, as he is now able to go for 10 mile runs again. https://www.hss.edu/condition-list_prp-injections.asp#:~:text=Platelet%2Drich%20plasma%20(PRP)%20therapy%20uses%20injections%20of%20a,system%20to%20improve%20musculoskeletal%20problems.
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I’ve hurt both of my ankles several times, my right one had tendons and ligaments torn in several places on one occasion. It looked like a scene from a horror movie, with all that subdermal bleeding and swelling, just awful. I remember fearing I’ll never be able to do sports again, but it turned out my fear was an empty one.
I didn’t take any pharmaceuticals, but have used essential oils for gentle massaging to improve blood circulation, ice / cryo therapy to the point of numbing pain and applying cabbage leaves to reduce the swelling and helping haematoma to heal faster. Just take fresh cabbage and take a few leaves from it, slightly crumble them so plant’s juice starts leaking and apply leaves to the affected area – the best is to do this over night, using a bandage gently to fix it in place. It does wonders and speeds up the recovery.
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Midstream morning urine. Rub it on leave it for a half hour. Cured my knee pain, it contains stem cells.
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