Aside, on infection

I would add blood oxygen (movement) to your infection remedies, Kate. But, appropriate movement.

I'm going by my experience with a deep scrape on my shin, just above and inside my ankle. It crushed a bundle of muscles.

The broken skin area became some infected, and a large donut of hard flesh seemed to protect against it spreading.

First I tried to 'walk it out'. Bad move.

Trial and error told me it was a 'leg up, and rest' kind of injury. Still, the blood flow around the area was impaired. It was amazing to watch some of the blood vessels swell to accomodate the loss.

Cold water was the only thing to alleviate the pain, but cold inhibited blood flow.

Resting was good, but also not helping blood flow.

I couldn't exercise the damaged muscle itself, so I worked out exercises with the toes, gravity (up and down of the leg), and breathing. I exhaled fully on the tensing.

I also used a walker, with my knee up on the seat, so that the body was moving, but the leg remained still. (The walker turned out to be treacherous because the wheels locked up on a rubber mat, and I pitched over it onto my face. We took pictures after the stitches were in my nose.)

Doctor said I wouldn't heal, but the older emergency room doctor who was stitching my nose, said the leg was a six - eight week injury, and that it wasn't particularly infected.

All in all, I strongly feel it was the blood circulation I aided that healed it.

I've heard good things about every other remedy you mention, too.

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