My Achilles tendon on my right leg is basically poo. I have an appointment in a month, in the mean time here are the remedies I am using to try and help soothe it.
The first is an Essential Oil based remedy from Ms Worwood’s classic “The Fragrant Pharmacy.”
Essential oil clay poultice
I had this book sitting on my shelf for ages. For Achilles tendinitis she recommends.
This is working just great do far. Here is what I did.
Ingredients and kit
I got the following form Amazon – but if you have a local store which supplies these items please use it!
- Green clay powder
- Chamomile oil
- Lavender oil
- Ginger oil
- Small bowl
- Tablespoon measurer
- Tiny bowl or tub
- Cheap crepe bandages – mine were 3 rolls for £1 for from Bodycare.
- Tube-bandage – again £1 from Bodycare.
Day 1-3 – cooling clay poultice
First you want just a little cold water, you can add more later. I had about a teaspoon.
Then you add two tablespoons of the clay power
Mix it up into a thick paste – thicker than an average facemask. All the clay should be absorbed. Then add the oil: three drops of chamomile and three of lavender.
Apply to the Achilles and affected area.
To use it all up, I covered quite a large area. It’s very nice and cooling, so just use it where it feels good.
Wipe your hands and wrap the area in the crepe bandages, this stops the clay from getting everywhere.
It took me two bandages to cover it all.
Leave it alone for as long as you are comfortable. After about 2 hours the clay started cracking and pulling on my leg hair, so time to take it off.
Most of the clay came off with the bandage. You can wash them out and use them again – but don’t get the clay in the drain or it will clog up the u-bend. Also, bear in mind that essential oils may be bad for your pets, don’t let the dog eat it!
Massage after
After removing the poultice, or whenever you have time, use the massage oil. 1 tsb of base oil (I just used rapeseed oil) with three drops of chamomile and two of lavender,
Mix it in a small tub
And massage very gently with flat of hand upwards towards the knee.
I put on a tube-bandage after to stop the oil going everywhere.
Day 3+
The recipe then changes to have 3 drops of ginger and 2 drops of chamomile with hot water to mix the clay. The massage oil stays the same.
Keeping things tidy
I have tried a few variations on just bandages, as the clay can be pretty messy.
Baking sheet
Baking parchment works okay, it allows the clay to dry out but you can peel most of the clay off on one sheet after. It works best to put the clay on your skin and then the paper on the clay. This method does not work well of you paper under the heel, the paper rips if you put any strain on in.
Cling-film
Cling-film works pretty well, you can put the clay on your skin and wrap the whole lower leg in the film to keep the clay in. It does not tend to rip, and you can wrap several layers – however the clay does not dry out much, and I am not sure if that is ideal. It means you have to actually wash off the clay at the end, rather than just brush it off.
A combination of cling-film and a tube bandage seems to be the best way of keeping things tidy.
Bathtub
I also take off the clay with my foot in the bathtub, balling up the baking sheet or cling-film and throwing it in the bin. I then I can rinse down the bath and my leg with the shower head after. This seems to be the most mess free clay removal approach.
Arnicare bath oil
This bath oil is great if you struggle with pain after exercise – or if you are stressed. It has Arnica, Lavender and some other good stuff. Makes me sleep like a cat on a mat!