I have one in one of my elbows. I had it drained once and it seemed to be healing up as it was getting less and less sore, but I bumped it again pretty hard, and the whole cycle started over. Get it drained and protect it until it heals.
I'm intrigued by the washing soda idea.
Washing soda is just sodium carbonate. You can buy it at grocery stores. It's similar to baking soda, but it's very basic, a pH of about 10, I think.
Doesn't it irritate the skin?
The washing soda likely hardens due to moisture in the air and the swelling likely goes down due to pressure applied by the bandage holding the "soda" in place...
Honkey, while I too await confirmation of this home cure, I do doubt that the pressure from the bandage would be enough to do it. I've slept with my elbow looking like a golf ball was under the skin, and wrapping it tightly had no effect.
Is that not the case with yours? Only draining relieves the swelling once it's there.
"Is that not the case with yours? " I would say that 4 out of 5 times I and pressure have done the trick... I have only had to have it drained when it gets real bad... I took some pictures last time, when I get home tonight I will se about posting them on the net some where... anyway that doc told me that because I have had the problem so many times that I will continue for the rest of my life :-(
I am not trying to ba an ass about the "soda cure" but it seem impossible to me... when I have had the elbow drained, every time it was a thick red colored liquid... does the soda turn red..?
Here are some links...
http://my.webmd.com/content/healthwise/110/27446
http://my.webmd.com/content/healthwise/45/11307
http://orthopedics.about.com/cs/sportsmedicine/a/blbursitis.htm
No, I too am skeptical, but I think that even though the fluid is a deep red, it only contains a small amount of blood, which might reasonably get left behind during the osmosis.
"...What is washing soda? Is there another common name for it?..."
It's sold in Australia as either "Washing Soda" or "Lectric Soda".
It looks like crushed ice, and comes in an airtight bag. Look at the supermarket in the laundry section.
"...The washing soda likely hardens due to moisture in the air and the swelling likely goes down due to pressure applied by the bandage holding the "soda" in place..."
Nope.
I had my bursa drained with a syringe, and kept it tightly wrapped with a compression bandage over a tubular bandage, and it always returned, even when accompanied one time by a cortisone injection.
1 week, 3 applications of the soda and I was fixed.
The Washing Soda literally draws the fluid through the skin, so you don't risk infection like you do with getting it drained with a syringe. You can bandage on the Washing soda with cling wrap to make it work better also.
Most sites reccomend putting it in a tea towel or sock, but I used a stocking so it worked faster also.
A bog of the washing soda in a bath is good too for sore muscles - same stuff as in bath salts, but way cheaper.
I've also heard of guys treating cauli ears with this too, like Todd mentions.
I always keep some at home.