Anyone know what soaking in Epsom salt does..?

applecrisp · #1 10-01-2009, 09:56 PM

I forgot to ask my doc and just curious. I had foot surgery 2 weeks ago and I'm now soaking my foot in Epsom salt for 20 minutes each day.

Anyone know what the Epsom salt does?

My box doesn't say. It just says its a soaking solution and a saline laxative. Now that's multipurpose.

Thanks,

foodfiend · #2 10-01-2009, 09:57 PM

It's supposed to relax the muscles by drawing out the toxins in the body. To get the full effect you should use at least a cup per bath and soak for half an hour.

Lucinda · #3 10-01-2009, 10:40 PM

My mom SWEARS by soaking in an epsom salt bath. It sure does feel good...

Canice · #4 10-02-2009, 12:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by applecrisp

Anyone know what the Epsom salt does?

My box doesn't say. It just says its a soaking solution and a saline laxative. Now that's multipurpose.

Funny to see this: when I was a kid in the '70s my dad had three tricks up his sleeve when it came to wounds: epsom salt, iodine, and styptic sticks. Haven't seen or thought of any of them in a gazillion years! But I do remember soaking my hand in a sink of tepid water and Epsom salt when I had a puffy hangnail

lantana · #5 10-02-2009, 04:58 AM

My bag of epsom salts also lists it is used as a source of magnesium for gardening. It just made me laugh to see how multipurpose it is. Internal use, external use, and gardening?

Shugness · #6 10-02-2009, 07:02 AM

Back in my childhood it was used when your body was aching...in present day I have some in the bathroom cabinet and add it to a hot bath when my muscles are sore from over doing it.

Not sure if it really does anything more than a plain hot bath would, but I use it anyways.

Side note, I noticed on the boxes I have it can be used as a laxative!

Beth · #7 10-02-2009, 07:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lantana

My bag of epsom salts also lists it is used as a source of magnesium for gardening. It just made me laugh to see how multipurpose it is. Internal use, external use, and gardening?

Yeah, but I always wonder about the effect it is going to have when someone is soaking a foot and the dog wants a drink. They are always told no, but sometimes it's too much to resist. Must not taste good though -- they never drink much.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shugness

Side note, I noticed on the boxes I have it can be used as a laxative!

Yep, but the dogs don't even look at the box.

Luckyfeather · #8 10-02-2009, 09:16 AM

My DH swears by this, too. Another use I've found for it recently...when I have minced jalepeno peppers (without wearing gloves

), I have poured a little into the bathroom sink, run some warm water, and kind of rubbed my hands with it (as if helping it to dissolve), and I SWEAR it draws out the pepper pain. I've done this a couple of times, and it really worked for me.

beckms · #9 10-02-2009, 10:11 AM

It's a highly concentrated salt solution, so when you soak a swollen foot in it it will suck the fluid out of the tissue.

I imagine it works the same way as a laxative in that when it reaches your colon, it sucks water from the surrounding tissue into the colon contents which helps, um, move things along.

Middydd · #10 10-02-2009, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Canice

Funny to see this: when I was a kid in the '70s my dad had three tricks up his sleeve when it came to wounds: epsom salt, iodine, and styptic sticks. Haven't seen or thought of any of them in a gazillion years! But I do remember soaking my hand in a sink of tepid water and Epsom salt when I had a puffy hangnail

My Mom also used three tricks, epsom salts, iodine, but instead of the styptic pencils she used gentian violet. Gross, gross substance!!

applecrisp · #11 10-02-2009, 08:55 PM

Thanks everyone. Silly me bought a small box of Epsom salt.... time to go back and get some more. I've got quite a few more days of soaking.

Now that I think about it, I vaguely recall soaking my hand from time to time in Epsom salt when I was a kid.

syzygy · #12 10-03-2009, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Middydd

My Mom also used three tricks, epsom salts, iodine, but instead of the styptic pencils she used gentian violet. Gross, gross substance!!

Same three tricks from my childhood, too, and I LOVED gentian violet -- not that it wasn't gross and stained everything, but I loved it's iridescence...

I don't remember it being used in lieu of styptic, but on things like blisters, etc. to dry them up -- soak in Epsom Salts, then apply gentian violet.

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