Introduction: Get Rid of a Ganglion- Painlessly

If you have a ganglion cyst* on your hand or foot, the treatments can be painful, if not dire:

 you can go to your doctor who will insert a big needle and drain the cyst (ouch!),
you can have surgery- expensive and painful – double ouch
or the old folk remedy is to hit it with the family bible – triple ouch!

I haven’t tried the surgery or the family bible remedy, but I have had a ganglion drained- it wasn’t fun, and it did grow back after about a year.

The next time it appeared, I worked out my own remedy- cheap, relatively painless, and effective- the ganglion hasn’t re-appeared and it’s been a few years now.

* Of course, you need to go to your doctor to get any lump checked- don't just assume it's a ganglion.

 For more information on ganglia, check with your doctor or on the internet. The main image I have used here is from Wikipedia- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganglion_cyst (I can’t photograph mine as I don’t have it any more!). Remember that information on the internet is just someone's opinion and may not be accurate!

Step 1: What I Used

What I used:

i. an old eraser with worn edges, large enough to cover the ganglion* (you’re going to press in against your skin so it should be firm but not hard, with rounded edges so they won’t dig in).

ii. a bandage (stretchy is best) and closure/safety pins

* If your ganglion is huge, it’s probably gone too far for this method to work- best to treat it while it’s still small. Remember that this method may not be right for you.; check with your health professional.

Step 2: The Method

NOTE- if you are not sure about this, check with your doctor- I have no medical training! The ganglion is likely to grow back without surgery, but you can repeat the treatment easily if it does.

Here's the method I used-

i.Check that the edges of the eraser are rounded- wear them down by rubbing on a scrap of cardboard if they are a bit "sharp".

ii. Place the worn eraser over the ganglion and
iii. bandage firmly, ensuring that circulation is not cut off with the bandage.

Leave it on overnight. Check in the morning and repeat the next night if necessary.

Step 3: The Results

The fluid was pressed back into the tissue, leaving my skin smooth(ish) again.

Notes:

A ganglion cyst is formed when fluid leaks into the sheath around the tendon/joint.

Hitting it with a heavy object will rupture the cyst and let the fluid drain into the surrounding tissue.

My method was more gentle and allowed a more natural reversal of the problem, forcing the fluid back out of the cyst gradually without damaging the surrounding area – but as I say, I’m not a doctor so get medical opinion for diagnosis and advice if you’re not sure what to do.