I said no to surgery and healed my knee naturally. Here is the ligament tear in knee home remedy that worked for me! I used essential oils, rehab exercise, supplements, and diet. Find out my favorite essential oil for knee pain as well as everything else I did. If you have healed a knee naturally, I would love to hear what worked for you.
How I Healed My Knee Naturally
I've gotten emails with questions about how I healed my knee injury naturally ever since this post was shared in 2014. Since then, I've re-injured this knee, injured my other knee (this time a minor ligament tear), and recovered and now my husband is recovering from the same injury.
I thought I would take a moment to update this post and share what I've learned about how you can heal a knee injury naturally.
Please note that this is my personal experience and not intended to me medical advice. I am simply sharing my story in hopes that is helps others who are interested in how to heal a torn meniscus naturally.
Always consult your health practitioner.
If you’ve been following for long, you may remember that when Skye was about two months old, I had a severe knee injury. I couldn’t walk.
Getting up and down was so difficult that I wasn’t able to lift her from her cradle by the bed into the bed to feed her. My husband had to get up at every feeding and hand her to me. During the day, I was parked on the much lower couch.
Having a new baby is never easy. But having one and losing your mobility is devastating.
I felt lost and scared, as I watched my weight creep up a bit. (Up until that point I’d been doing well with my weight loss.) Nothing like sitting on the couch all day to stop any movement on the scale.
Since I had free time on my hands, I begin searching for a ligament tear in knee home remedy that might work for me.
Can You Heal a Knee Injury Naturally?
I tried everything. Ice. Heat. Ice and heat rotating. I ground of Fenugreek seeds into a paste and wore them under a wrap all day. (It looked like something from Skye’s diaper, but I was desperate.) I wore a brace. I tried castor oil packs.
Despite everything, I still couldn’t bend my knee, which meant that most rehab exercises were out. I wasn't healing.
The swelling was so bad that only my loosest pants around the knees or shorts would work.
I was told that surgery for my partial ACL, MCL, and ligament tear was the only solution.
Since I was nursing, I didn’t feel that was a viable option, so I suffered on. This went on for months.
I was miserable. Fortunately, Skye wasn’t mobile, but taking care of her was still harder than it should have been. I’d always been blessed with extreme flexibility and the ability to sit on the floor comfortably as an adult. Both of those things were gone, which meant playing with her was a struggle once she started sitting up.
I can't tell you how this impacted me emotionally. All three of my children needed a healthy mommy! This knee injury was throwing me into a very deep depression.
I continued to research how to heal a torn meniscus naturally, and I found a little bit of encouragement.
About that time, I started hearing a lot about essential oils for knee pain and healing. I also read that cleaning my diet and taking supplements might be able to help.
Could essential oils help me heal my knee injury naturally? Could supplements help?
Though I was skeptical that anything would have an impact, I decided to go all-in and give everything a try.
I was still hobbling around with a swollen knee covered in poop-look-alike (fenugreek paste) hoping to at least ease the pain, so if someone had suggested walking on hot coals would help I would have gone for it.
How to Heal a Torn Meniscus Naturally
From my experience, it takes more than one approach to heal a knee naturally. This is what I did:
Essential Oils
Supplements
Exercises / Rehab
Clean Diet
As an Amazon Associate and Plant Therapy Affiliate I earn from qualified purchases.
The Quality of The Essential Oils You Use Matters!
After looking closely at the quality, purity, and ethics of so many companies, I've fallen in love with both the company and their oils. They have a large line of organic oils and are serious about safety. Every single batch is tested to ensure purity!
I believe that essential oils played a key role in helping me get better. Prior to this injury, I had almost no experience with oils. To say that I fell in love with them is an understatement.
(click thru for the specific oils I recommend.)
Wintergreen: Contains 99% methyl salicylate, which gives it cortisone-like properties. Supports discomfort that is related to inflammation of bones, muscles, and joints. This is my favorite essential oil for knee pain! (Wintergreen should be avoided by anyone with seizures.)
Peppermint: Anti-inflammatory properties helps damaged tissues. Has a soothing and cooling effect.
This roller bottle blend is intended for adults. These oils should never be used undiluted, and Wintergreen should be avoided by those with seizures.
Add the oils to the roller bottle
Fill the roller bottle with 5 drops each of Wintergreen, Peppermint, German Chamomile, and Helichrysum.
Add your carrier oil
Fill the remainder of the bottle with a carrier oil and cover with the roller bottle lid.
Apply
Apply to the area 4 times a day.
Layering Essential Oils for Knee Pain and Healing
I layered on the Lemongrass and Frankincense two to three times a day. You can read about why you would want to layer versus blend here. These are the two that worked for me, but play around with it and see what works for you. Don't forget to dilute with a carrier oil!
Supplements & Other Remedies That Helped
Turmeric: The curcumin contained in turmeric is can help to reduce going pain and swelling. Long-term studies have shown that it can reduce blood levels of inflammatory chemicals. You can get it on Amazon.
Ginger Extract: Ginger is a great way to decrease pain and inflammation. I take 250mg of ginger extract four times a day to help with knee pain.
Glucosamine Sulfate: This is found naturally in the fluid around the joints. It can help to rebuild lost cartilages and prevent the breakdown of cartilage and fluid in joints.
Epsom Salts: I use Epsom salt baths on a regular basis to help to relax tight muscles. It has detoxifying powers which can work to ease joint pain. Try two cups of Epsom salts in a warm bath - I like to add in Lemongrass and Frankincense Essential Oils.
Arnica: Arnica has anti-inflammatory compounds as well as a compound called helenin which is a natural analgesic.
How I Progressed
Truthfully, I was just hoping for a little relief from the knee pain.
I'd already accepted the fact that surgery was going to be in my future. In fact, we'd planned to leave the beach and return to Scottsdale because I felt more comfortable with the doctors there than in the tiny beach-side town we were in.
(I've had surgery twice in my life and both times have had issues with anesthesia that turned what should have been day stays into three or more nights in the hospital.)
What happened was nothing short of astounding.
After the first few days, I was able to move my knee a little better and was more comfortable. This led me back to these knee exercises, which I'd been attempting without success for months. (You can probably also just google knee rehab exercises.)
They weren't easy, but for the first time, I was able to push through them. I felt hope.
I can't say that it happened overnight, but I began seeing consistent improvement, and that was enough for me. All in all, I went from unable to walk to about 80% over the course of two months. It was another three months before I was at 95% and could say that I had healed my knee injury naturally.
Key Points to Heal a Knee Naturally
You must be consistent. This isn't the kind of thing you can do when you remember and hope for the best. If you can't be consistent you need to accept that natural remedies may not work for you.
Consider your diet. Diet is ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL to healing. I recommend a clean diet that eliminates inflammation as much as possible. No processed food. Stay away from triggers. (Mine are gluten and soy.)
You Can't Skip the Exercises. Everything else can help to reduce inflammation to the point that you can rehab your knee, but you are still going to have to do the work.
Don't Skip Supplements. The oils didn't HEAL my knee. The supplements didn't HEAL my knee. They, along with a good diet helped reduce the inflammation to the point I could rehab it.
Update:
These days, I'm able to work out without restriction. The only thing I really can't do without discomfort is put direct pressure on my knee. (As you do when you do a push-up from the knees.). I honestly never thought I'd do a lunge or squat again. I can. Recently, I added Kettlebells to the mix.
I am so glad I said no to surgery and began searching for home remedies for ligament tear in knee. I know that essential oils for knee pain and healing combined with supplements, diet and rehab won't work for everyone, but I am so grateful that they worked for me.
If you have ever healed a knee naturally or have a ligament tear in knee home remedy that has worked for you, I'd love to hear your story!
Hi, I’m Wendy! I’m a cook, 5 time cookbook author, blogger, photographer…and most importantly a mom. My boys are 19 & 20 and my late life princess is 12.
Thank you.
My dog just injured his knee. He is scheduled with a specialist for xrays and diagnosis.
I will be adding these oils to his care program.
I too hope that with consistancy and gentle exercise, we can master it without surgery.
The diagnosis may lean toward surgery, but if possible, the less invasive the better.
How big of a dog is he? You can use oils for dogs but need to be careful. I'd recommend seeking out someone experienced in the area and asking them. Here is a Facebook group you could join and ask. https://www.facebook.com/groups/coessentialoils/
It's awesome to hear this worked for you! I know CBD has a way of reducing inflammation and reducing pain. Maybe a CBD oil would work as well. Congrats!
Hi there! I tore my PCL in a rugby game a month ago and I'm SO desperate to get healed up so I can continue playing sooner rather than later.
I'm not going to have surgery - I've been doing physical therapy but recently came across your site. I know absolutely nothing about essential oils but after reading this blog I bought Frankincense & Lemongrass. I put 5 drops of each in two roller bottles and diluted it with water (was I not supposed to use water? ) You say to layer...does it matter which of those I do first?
You also mentioned the mix that included wintergreen, peppermint, German chamomile and helichrysum...do you know of anywhere that sells this particular combo premixed? I work for a nonprofit so large quantities of essential oils aren't really in my budget unfortunately
I've also been using a Glucosamine & Arnica cream on the knee - should the essential oils go on before or after the lotion?
Hi! I just now saw your post ans just barely posted a comment (Aug 2022) about my daughter who also plays rugby and did something major to her knee and this did what we needed! It's been years now, so I hope it worked for you! The oils have been worth their weight in gold, truly, since our family is still active and still have strains and some injuries, the oils last, and its cheaper than so many alternatives.
Hi Wendy, amazing advice. I want to know if the lemon grass and frankincense layering is neat or added alongside a carrier oil? What do you normally do? Thanks so much.
Hi Bertie, I always dilute in carrier oil. To be honest, I'm not too precise with my dilution ratios. I typically just put a little carrier oil in my palm and then the essential oils. Good luck!
Hi,
I'm glad it went well for you. Reading your story gives me some hope so thanks for putting it up. The human body is capable of adapting I think.But it must have hurt a lot. So great job hanging in there.Could you answer a few questions for me please? Did you have a full ACL tear or was it a partial one based on MRI? Did you take an MRI after you felt that your leg recovered 95%? I'm looking forward to your answer. 🙂
Hey Jake, you may want to read some studies and do some research before being so dismissive about others healing journeys. Here's a study about healing full ACL ruptures without surgery: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21643922/
Lots of true "medical miracles" out there if you do the research like Wendy did. Being open to the possibility and having faith helps too!
I discovered your Can You Heal a Knee Injury Naturally? I Did! - Wendy Polisi page and noticed you could have a lot more traffic. I have found that the key to running a website is making sure the visitors you are getting are interested in your subject matter. We can send you targeted traffic and we let you try it for free. Get over 1,000 targeted visitors per day to your website. Check it out here: http://pzr.eu/17 Unsubscribe here: http://pzr.eu/18
Hi I recently suffered a dislocated kneecap & currently using essential oils Eucalyptus & olive oil that has helped reduce the swelling & now have less pain when stretching my knee.But couldn't find the essential oils named in your post.In how many months did the swelling in your knee dissappear ?And any other advice that you could give me? Thanks
Hey dear, I always trust on natural home remedies to cure my knee pain. Doctor has suggested me a surgery for this, but I really don't wish to do that. Thanks to you that you have shared such a great remedies that can help me.
Hey There I m Parth Patel From india , i have ACL And MCL Grade 3 Ligament Tron 30 days ago as you wrote i m taking supplements and Doing Exercises . like your case doc recommended surgery to me also but as i trusted myself said no now im looking for natural solutions for heal my meniscus and Tears. the thing is i dont know anything about oils and wold this will work for me ?
Thank you so much for this post. It couldn’t have come at a better time. I am taking your advice and hoping to get some positive outcomes.
Thank you so much for sharing your story it is truly appreciated.
Rebecca says
Thank you.
My dog just injured his knee. He is scheduled with a specialist for xrays and diagnosis.
I will be adding these oils to his care program.
I too hope that with consistancy and gentle exercise, we can master it without surgery.
The diagnosis may lean toward surgery, but if possible, the less invasive the better.
Wendy Polisi says
How big of a dog is he? You can use oils for dogs but need to be careful. I'd recommend seeking out someone experienced in the area and asking them. Here is a Facebook group you could join and ask. https://www.facebook.com/groups/coessentialoils/
Alex says
It's awesome to hear this worked for you! I know CBD has a way of reducing inflammation and reducing pain. Maybe a CBD oil would work as well. Congrats!
Katelyn says
Hi there! I tore my PCL in a rugby game a month ago and I'm SO desperate to get healed up so I can continue playing sooner rather than later.
I'm not going to have surgery - I've been doing physical therapy but recently came across your site. I know absolutely nothing about essential oils but after reading this blog I bought Frankincense & Lemongrass. I put 5 drops of each in two roller bottles and diluted it with water (was I not supposed to use water? ) You say to layer...does it matter which of those I do first?
You also mentioned the mix that included wintergreen, peppermint, German chamomile and helichrysum...do you know of anywhere that sells this particular combo premixed? I work for a nonprofit so large quantities of essential oils aren't really in my budget unfortunately
I've also been using a Glucosamine & Arnica cream on the knee - should the essential oils go on before or after the lotion?
Thanks for humoring all my questions!
Peggy says
Hi! I just now saw your post ans just barely posted a comment (Aug 2022) about my daughter who also plays rugby and did something major to her knee and this did what we needed! It's been years now, so I hope it worked for you! The oils have been worth their weight in gold, truly, since our family is still active and still have strains and some injuries, the oils last, and its cheaper than so many alternatives.
Bertie says
Hi Wendy, amazing advice. I want to know if the lemon grass and frankincense layering is neat or added alongside a carrier oil? What do you normally do? Thanks so much.
Bertie
Wendy Polisi says
Hi Bertie, I always dilute in carrier oil. To be honest, I'm not too precise with my dilution ratios. I typically just put a little carrier oil in my palm and then the essential oils. Good luck!
Victoria says
Is blackseed oil useful
Wendy Polisi says
I personally don't have any experience with it. Sorry I can't be of more help.
Specialk says
How about lemon grass tea?
Or tea tree oil?
Also where could I get those oils you listed?
Danielle says
Can you put a link or tell me a site to get the oils. Thanks
Wendy Polisi says
Hi Danielle! All of the ingredients are hyperlinked within the post, but this is the brand I use --> http://bit.ly/2evIYeA
Vignesh says
Hi,
I'm glad it went well for you. Reading your story gives me some hope so thanks for putting it up. The human body is capable of adapting I think.But it must have hurt a lot. So great job hanging in there.Could you answer a few questions for me please? Did you have a full ACL tear or was it a partial one based on MRI? Did you take an MRI after you felt that your leg recovered 95%? I'm looking forward to your answer. 🙂
Jake says
Your ACL couldn't have been completely torn. If it was you are the first person in history to spontaneously regrow an ACL.
A torn ACL detached itself from the wall of the femur or tibia. Unlike the mcl, a blood clot cannot be formed.
It would be like a broken bone sticking through skin miraculously putting itself into the right place and healing.
The essential oils would certainly help mcl however. But if you genuinely torn acl you might want to consider surgery.
Lawrence says
Hey Jake, you may want to read some studies and do some research before being so dismissive about others healing journeys. Here's a study about healing full ACL ruptures without surgery: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21643922/
Lots of true "medical miracles" out there if you do the research like Wendy did. Being open to the possibility and having faith helps too!
Rebecca Sutton says
I discovered your Can You Heal a Knee Injury Naturally? I Did! - Wendy Polisi page and noticed you could have a lot more traffic. I have found that the key to running a website is making sure the visitors you are getting are interested in your subject matter. We can send you targeted traffic and we let you try it for free. Get over 1,000 targeted visitors per day to your website. Check it out here: http://pzr.eu/17 Unsubscribe here: http://pzr.eu/18
Sammi says
Hi I recently suffered a dislocated kneecap & currently using essential oils Eucalyptus & olive oil that has helped reduce the swelling & now have less pain when stretching my knee.But couldn't find the essential oils named in your post.In how many months did the swelling in your knee dissappear ?And any other advice that you could give me? Thanks
Sheeja Paulos says
Hey dear, I always trust on natural home remedies to cure my knee pain. Doctor has suggested me a surgery for this, but I really don't wish to do that. Thanks to you that you have shared such a great remedies that can help me.
Cindy says
I was just wondering how often you used the arnica gel and if you put it on at the same time as the essential oils? Thanks!
Wendy Polisi says
I used it as needed for pain, but usually not at the same time as the oils.
Parth says
Hey There I m Parth Patel From india , i have ACL And MCL Grade 3 Ligament Tron 30 days ago as you wrote i m taking supplements and Doing Exercises . like your case doc recommended surgery to me also but as i trusted myself said no now im looking for natural solutions for heal my meniscus and Tears. the thing is i dont know anything about oils and wold this will work for me ?
Parth says
And The Thing is I'm Pure Vegetarian !! stuck between Principals And Health !
Gina says
Thank you so much for this post. It couldn’t have come at a better time. I am taking your advice and hoping to get some positive outcomes.
Thank you so much for sharing your story it is truly appreciated.
Wendy Polisi says
I am so glad it is helpful! Good luck to you Gina! Let me know how it goes.