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🦵 Recovering From Injuries: Rehab Without a Clinic

How to get a hurt, sick or bed-bound person moving, strong and working again with no physical therapist, X-ray or surgeon: when to start, how much and how often, exercises joint by joint, strength and balance, common injuries, long bed rest, burns, head injuries, home-made crutches, and the road back to firewood and water hauling. This guide is not a clinician. It names the danger signs, where a clinic would normally be essential, and the safest course without one. First aid is in the Field Care guide; medicines and doses in the Medical READ-ME-FIRST. The rehab books are in Medical\Rehab-Physical-Therapy, with Hesperian's Disabled Village Children chapters ("DVC") in its Disabled-Village-Children folder; the WHO 1989 family packages there are scanned pictures that search can't read. WHO Surgical Care at the District Hospital and ICRC War Surgery are in Medical\Field-Care\Wounds-Burns-Fractures, the JTS nursing guideline and Navy Hospital Corpsman in Medical\Field-Care\Nursing-Care. Page numbers are PDF pages.

The short version

🚩 Red flags: when to stop and get the best help you can

You see It may be Do this now
One leg swollen, hot, red, painful when squeezed or walking; a hard lump Blood clot Keep still, legs above the hips, warm cloths, no rubbing (Midwives, p. 6)
Breathless, chest pain worse on a deep breath, one leg swollen Clot in the lung Emergency; it needs blood thinners (WHO-ICRC, p. 88; Emergency War Surgery, p. 165)
Pain far worse than the injury, worse when fingers or toes are stretched; tense limb Compartment syndrome (swelling crushing muscle) Split every cast and wrap at once; don't raise the limb (WHO, pp. 434–435)
More pain, numbness, color change or a foul smell under a cast or splint Too tight, a sore, infection Open it and look (WHO, p. 392)
One hot, swollen joint with fever; spreading redness Infection Splint, no weight on it, antibiotics for weeks (WHO, p. 445)
A muscle very tender and "woody", with fever Muscle abscess "Risk of mortality is significant if treatment is delayed" (MSF, p. 349)
Back pain with fever, chills or night sweats; night pain; pain rising over hours Infection, TB, cancer Get help (VA/DoD, p. 9)
Back pain with bladder or bowel trouble, numb groin, or both legs weak Pinched spinal nerves Emergency (same page)
Numbness or weakness getting worse Nerve pressure Stop; check casts, splints and crutch tops (DVC ch. 63, p. 6)
A joint "very loose or floppy", or that keeps giving way; a "sprain" no better after 48 hours Torn ligaments, a break Splint or brace it (WTND, p. 28)
Worsening headache, vomiting over 30 minutes, slurred speech, can't be woken Bleeding in the head Field Care, head injury (CDC 2024, p. 1)

Where a clinic would normally be essential, and what to do without one: a clot needs blood thinners, so prevent it (see "After long bed rest").

🩹 How healing goes, and when to start moving

Protect, then move. A limb kept still loses strength and bone; moving early "helps to prevent venous thrombosis and pressure sores" (WHO, p. 398). With no therapist the family takes over, and "it is the motivation of the patient that will determine the outcome"; "Begin motion and strengthening of uninjured extremities as soon as possible" (p. 399).

When to move the hurt part, the books differ: the Air Force manual waits 4–6 weeks for a severe joint injury (AFH 10-644, p. 64), DVC "usually 4 to 6 weeks" for broken bones (DVC ch. 42, p. 8), and WHO gives a schedule for each injury. This guide follows WHO when you know the injury, and waits 4–6 weeks when you can't tell.

Injury Usually healed Gentle movement starts Source
Simple muscle strain 5–10 days' rest, then build up When pain allows AFH, p. 64
Bad sprain "at least 3 or 4 weeks" Toes at once; crutches to rest it WTND, p. 28
Collarbone 4 weeks (child), 6–8 (adult) Elbow and hanging-arm exercise within days WHO, p. 402
Upper arm 6–8 weeks Hanging-arm exercise within days WHO, p. 405
Wrist / scaphoid / hand bone About 6 / 6–20 / 4–6 weeks Wiggle the fingers at once WHO, pp. 411–414
Thigh bone 10–12 weeks Walking with no weight on it may start at 6–8 weeks WHO, p. 419
Shin bone "about six months" Knee motion in a walking cast WHO, p. 423
Heel bone Full weight by 3 months Partial weight at 6–8 weeks WHO, p. 425
Spine fracture No bending or lifting "for at least 3 months" Arms and legs at once WHO, p. 429
Ribs Pain may last months Deep breaths at once WTND, p. 25
Arm, in general Cast about a month, "no force put on it for another month"; old bones "sometimes never join" — WTND, p. 24
Burn scars Tightening for 6–12 months, maturing up to 2 years Day 1 ICRC, p. 296; WHO, p. 93

Swelling: raise it, cool it, wrap it, then warm it

📏 Pain and progress rules

🔄 Range-of-motion exercises

Range of motion (ROM) means moving a joint as far as it normally goes in every direction. It prevents contractures, joints that no longer straighten because muscle and skin have shortened (DVC ch. 08, p. 1). Passive: a helper moves it. Assisted: the person moves it as far as they can and the helper does the rest. Active: the person does it all, which "is usually best, because it also helps maintain or increase strength" (DVC ch. 42, p. 7; WHO, p. 399).

Who Dose Source
Anyone in bed All movable joints, 5–10 times each, at least every 8 hours JTS, p. 14
Keeping motion (weakness, stroke) Every affected joint, at least 2 times a day DVC ch. 42, p. 4
Winning back lost motion Hold-and-stretch 5–10 minutes, several times a day DVC ch. 08, p. 8
Hand and wrist after injury Each movement 10–20 times, at least twice a day DVC ch. 42, p. 25
Spinal cord injury About 10 minutes per arm and leg, twice a day, later once DVC ch. 23, p. 9
Burns 2 or 3 times a day from the first day DVC ch. 28, p. 2

How to do them safely (DVC ch. 42, pp. 6–10):

  1. Heat a stiff or painful joint 10–15 minutes first. Hold just above and below the joint; never pull far from it (pulling the foot to straighten a knee "can dislocate the knee (or break the bone)").
  2. Move slowly: moving it fast "like the handle of a pump … does no good and can do harm". At the stiff end, hold while you count to 25, stretch a little more, hold again. For faster results "Do not apply more force. Stretch the limb for longer and more times each day" (DVC ch. 08, p. 8).
  3. Don't move a broken part until it has joined; don't stretch a joint that is already floppy; take extra care if the person can't feel the limb or can't tell you it hurts.
Joint Movements Picture
Shoulder Forward and up; out to the side; back; across the chest; with the elbow bent, turn the arm up and down DVC ch. 42, p. 12
Elbow, forearm Straighten and bend; palm up and down p. 12
Wrist, fingers, thumb Wrist back, forward, side to side; fist and open; spread; thumb across the palm and out p. 13
Hip Knee to chest; straighten; out to the side and back; roll the leg in and out p. 14
Knee Heel back as far as it goes, then straighten p. 14
Ankle, toes Pull the heel down as you push the foot up, then point it; twist in and out; toes up and down p. 14
Neck Turn, tilt side to side, nod; done by the person, never forced p. 15
Trunk, shoulder blades, jaw, ribs Bend and twist; shoulders forward, back, up, down; open the jaw wide; breathe in deep, blow out long p. 15

Tight muscle or tight joint? Test the knee with the hip straight, then bent (the ankle with the knee straight, then bent). If it moves more one way, a muscle is tight, which "can often be corrected in the village"; the same either way means the joint capsule, which "often requires surgery" (DVC ch. 08, p. 4). "If a joint has been bent for a long time, be gentle. Do not try to force it straight" (WWHND ch. 9, p. 6). Stretch sheets for a tight heel cord, bent knee and bent hip: DVC ch. 42, pp. 17–19.

📚 Go deeper: DVC ch. 42 — precautions, games that exercise, nine home exercise sheets; DVC ch. 08 — how contractures form and how to measure them.

💪 Getting strong again

Start with exercises without motion (isometric: tightening a muscle without moving the joint), "useful across injured joints" (WHO, p. 400). Then climb the best ladder in the library, for the thigh and knee (DVC ch. 16, pp. 6–8):

Step Exercise Dose Move up when
1 Lying down, tighten the thigh without moving the knee Count 25, 10 times, 3–4 times a day After a few days; then do it sitting
2 Straight-leg raise: tighten, lift the straight leg, count 5–10, lower slowly Until the leg shakes The knee doesn't bend at all
3 The same with a sandbag on the ankle ½ kg, then 1, then 1½ kg No bend at each weight
4 The same raise sitting up Building to 5 kg (11 lb) Not with a sore or tight hip
5 Lying, a rolled blanket under the knee, lift the foot 10–30 times, building to 5 kg Steady and painless
6 Chair rise; step-ups, "Start with low steps"; hills Below Ready for work

Five side views of a person on the floor: tightening the thigh with the knee still; lifting the straight leg; the same with a sandbag at the ankle; the same raise sitting up; and lifting the foot over a rolled blanket under the knee Steps 1–5 of the ladder: move up only when the knee stays straight (a diagram drawn for this guide).

Weights: DVC's are for children. An adult starts at what they can lift 10 times cleanly, about 1–2 kg (2–5 lb), adding ½–1 kg a week (rule of thumb). For healthy adults Ship's starts women at 2–3 lb and men at 5–10 lb, "two sets of 8-12 repetitions" twice a week (Ship's, p. 138); the Army uses "1-3 sets of 10 repetitions" (FM 7-22, p. 98). Use a "cloth bag filled with sand", or bands cut from an old inner tube: "The wider the band, the more resistance" (DVC ch. 42, p. 7). Weigh a sandbag by balancing it on a stick against a measured liter of water (1 kg, 2.2 lb) (arithmetic). For the hand: a strip of tire between two sticks to squeeze; milking goats, wringing laundry and punching leather all count (DVC ch. 42, p. 26).

Chair rise (CDC STEADI, p. 1): at the front of a sturdy chair, feet flat, hands resting lightly on the seat, lean forward, breathe out and "slowly stand up, using your hands as little as possible"; pause; sit down slowly, "Do not let yourself collapse". 10–15 times, rest a minute, 10–15 more; start with fewer if needed. The goal is no hands.

Two drawings: a woman leans forward from a chair and stands up; then she lowers herself slowly back down to sit Lean forward and stand, using your hands as little as possible; sit back down slowly, without collapsing (CDC STEADI, p. 1).

Other building blocks:

⚖️ Balance and walking again

The 4-stage balance ladder (CDC STEADI 4-Stage, pp. 1–2): with a helper or a counter beside you, hold each for 10 seconds without moving your feet: 1 feet side by side; 2 the instep of one foot against the big toe of the other; 3 heel to toe in a line; 4 one foot. An older adult who can't hold stage 3 for 10 seconds "is at increased risk of falling"; CDC names Tai Chi for fall prevention. To train, practice the hardest stage you can hold a few times a day, up to 30 seconds, then with eyes closed, then on a folded blanket (rule of thumb). Lift one leg, then the other; later walk "on a log or narrow board" (DVC ch. 42, p. 3). In bars: walk sideways and backward, stand on one leg holding on with the opposite hand, then use one bar (WHO 1989, package 13, p. 122).

Footprints for the four balance stages: feet side by side; the instep of one foot touching the big toe of the other; one foot in front of the other, heel touching toe; standing on one foot The four stages, each harder than the last: hold each for 10 seconds without moving your feet (CDC STEADI 4-Stage, p. 2).

After an ankle or knee injury (rule of thumb; the library has no ankle plan): one-leg stands on the hurt side, 30 seconds, 3–5 times a day; then eyes closed; then on a blanket; then small hops in place and side to side, before running or rough trail. Walk to run (FM 7-22, p. 157): every other day, at least a week at each level, 5 minutes' walk before and after.

Week Walk Jog Repeat Total
I 4 min 2 min 5 times 30 min
II 3 min 3 min 5 times 30 min
III 2 min 4 min 5 times 30 min
IV 1 min 5 min 5 times 30 min
V Run every other day from 15 minutes, up to 30 over 2–4 weeks

🦴 Common injuries

First aid is in Field Care, "Broken bones, sprains, spine and head". Thin spots are marked (rule of thumb).

Ankle sprain

  1. Days 1–2: raise, cool, wrap; "Use crutches to give a sprained foot as much rest as possible" (WTND, p. 28). Trace circles and the alphabet with the toes (JTS, p. 13; written for clots, a classic early ankle exercise (rule of thumb)).
  2. No better after 48 hours, or "very loose or floppy": more than a sprain; "Surgery may be needed" (WTND). A broken outer ankle bone gets a splint, then a walking cast after 7–10 days (WHO, p. 424).
  3. Week 1 on, then weeks 2–3 (rule-of-thumb timing): walk with as much weight as is comfortable, stretch the calf leaning on a wall (DVC ch. 08, p. 7), heel raises; then the balance steps above, with an elastic wrap or ankle brace while it's weak (DVC ch. 15, p. 3).
  4. Last: jumping and running "with the most caution", shorter, shallower lunges (FM 7-22, p. 159). A loose ankle can stay weak "for months or years" (DVC ch. 15): lace boots firmly on rough trail (rule of thumb).

Knee

Low back

This guide follows the VA/DoD (2022), not the older "rest flat on your back for a few days" (WTND, p. 24). "Remaining active is key"; most people improve "within the first month" (VA/DoD, p. 3); "If possible, continue to work and make simple changes in how you do your job" (p. 2). Rest a day or two only "if rest is necessary". Moist heat 15–20 minutes, two or three times a day, not if you hurt it in a fall; no bouncing or jerking (p. 4).

Exercise (VA/DoD, pp. 5–6) How Dose
Pelvic rock On your back, knees bent; tighten belly and buttocks, press the low back down, then arch Hold 5 s each way, 5 times
Cat/camel On hands and knees, round the back up, then let it sag Hold each for a count of 15; 30 s–2 min
Backward stretch Stand, hands on the low back, lean back gently Hold 5; 3 or 4 times
Knee to chest On your back, pull one knee to the chest Hold 10; 10 times each leg

Two photos of a man on hands and knees on a mat: first with his back rounded up toward the ceiling and head down, then with his back let sag toward the floor and head up Cat/camel: round the back up and hold for a count of 15, then let it sag and hold (VA/DoD, p. 5).

Neck

Shoulder

Elbow, wrist, hand and fingers

After a splint or cast comes off

  1. Plaster: soak it "in water, or water with vinegar added, for 10–15 minutes and then remove it like a bandage" (WHO, p. 393).
  2. Expect stiffness and thin muscles. Warm it, then move it with the other hand through a range "which can be tolerated without pain", then on its own, then against weight (AFH, p. 65).
  3. An arm: no force for another month (WTND, p. 24). A leg goes back to weight in steps (WHO, p. 400): non-weight bearing (held off the ground) → touch down (the limb's own weight only) → partial (some weight, the rest on crutches) → full (the aid only "for balance and in case of emergency"). Foot stress fractures: limit time on your feet (p. 426).

Hip

Tendons: tennis elbow, Achilles and overuse

🛏️ After long bed rest

Turning, padding, skin and food are in Field Care, "Nursing a bedridden person for days and weeks"; this adds the exercise. Lying still wastes muscle fast and brings clots and bed sores; unhurt parts "may be exercised" (TM 8-292, p. 11), and a bed patient can do "more exercise than ordinarily is thought possible": about 45 minutes a day, in sessions of 25 and 20 (p. 49).

Getting up in stages

Minimum: sit on the edge of the bed 2–3 times a day. Better: sit in a chair through the day. Best: sit in a chair and "walk 2-3 times a day with assistance" (JTS, p. 13).

Dizziness on standing (blood pressure dropping) comes with "Prolonged bed rest" and "Dehydration" (CDC STEADI, p. 2):

  1. Before getting up, pump the feet and clench and unclench the hands. Sit up; sit on the side of the bed; stand holding something solid; march in place. Drink 6–8 glasses a day unless told otherwise; avoid very hot baths (CDC).
  2. "Do not walk if you feel dizzy." Lie down and try again more slowly (WHO 1989, package 12, pp. 75–76, with two helpers standing a weak person up); lying down and fluids usually clear it (Ship's, p. 43). Fainting: lie them down, or head between the knees (Hospital Corpsman, p. 206).

Breathing exercises

Stiff joints and bed sores

Lie straight with "a pillow between legs", never twisted or bent; feet at right angles against a padded board or hanging over the end of the bed; some time face down; knees as straight as possible (DVC ch. 08, p. 5). Don't "SPEND ALL DAY SITTING DOWN"; anyone sitting long pushes up on their arms and counts to 25 every 15–20 minutes (DVC ch. 42, p. 20). Every joint 5–10 times at least every 8 hours; turning and skin checks are in Field Care.

Blood clots: prevent them, spot them, never rub them

🔥 Burns: keeping scars from locking joints

Lupito lay with his burned arm and knee bent because it "hurt less"; once healed he "could not lift or straighten his arm or straighten his leg" (DVC ch. 28, p. 1). First aid is in Field Care.

Positions: splint against the pull of the scar; a joint burned on both sides is splinted straight; for the armpit, hold the arm out ("Airplane-strut type splints") (ICRC War Surgery, p. 296). Keep the head "tilted up", elbows and knees straight (tied if needed so they don't bend in sleep), and fingers and toes apart with Vaseline gauze (DVC ch. 28, p. 2). The hand, the books differ (WTND "slightly bent", DVC straight); this guide follows the ICRC "safe position": wrist back 30°, knuckles bent close to 90°, finger joints straight, fingers apart; "A hand should never be immobilized longer than ten days" (ICRC, p. 295). Raise burned hands 48 hours, then start hand exercises (WHO, p. 92).

Stretching:

  1. Gentle ROM at once, 2 or 3 times a day, best at the dressing change (DVC ch. 28, p. 2). Straighten fingers, arms and legs "completely several times a day … This is painful but helps prevent stiff scars" (WTND, p. 23). Pain relief first (MSF, p. 342).
  2. Splint at night, stretch by day; once healed, tight elastic bandages and scar massage (ICRC, p. 296), with oil rubbed into the healed burn ("not a fresh burn") before stretching (DVC).
  3. Keep at it until the skin "no longer tightens and shrinks" (DVC): 6–12 months (ICRC), longer in children, whose scars can't keep up with growth. "Eggs and peanut oil are good, locally available supplements" (WHO, p. 93).

An old scar contracture can be straightened with a series of casts, cut and wedged a little straighter every few days; check daily for sores, a bad smell and cold or blue toes, and stop if 3 changes gain nothing (DVC ch. 59, pp. 2–3).

🧠 Head injury and concussion

Watch the whole way through for: a headache that gets worse, vomiting over 30 minutes, odd behavior or slurred speech, drowsiness or can't be woken, weakness or numbness, seizures, double vision. Most people recover "within a few days or weeks" (CDC 2024, p. 1).

Rest, then light activity. The Army book says "Physical and cognitive rest" (ATP 4-02.11, p. 122); this guide follows the newer CDC (2024) sheet (p. 2):

  1. The day of the injury: no work, driving, sports or physical activity.
  2. Then: good sleep and "light activity such as short walks. If an activity makes symptoms worse, be sure to stop and rest." Less bright light and noise if they bother you. As you feel better: "aerobic exercise for 20-30 minutes".
  3. Back to work in steps, with breaks. More time off for work "from heights … ladder or a roof" or with machinery: here, felling, chainsaws, roofs and riding (rule of thumb). A second blow before healing "may slow your recovery".

A practical ladder: short walks → longer walks and light chores → 20–30 minutes' brisk work → normal work on the ground → full work; at least a day at each step without symptoms, and back a step if they return (rule of thumb built on CDC).

♿ Stroke and spine injuries: the basics

Stroke: many "get better with time"; help them "walk with a cane and to use her good hand to care for herself" (WTND ch. 22, p. 5).

Spinal cord injury (DVC ch. 23, pp. 8–9): gentle ROM from the day after. Until the spine heals (6 weeks or more) keep it "very gentle and limited", don't move the back or neck, and start with "feet, ankles, hands, wrists, and elbows": about 10 minutes per arm and leg, twice a day. Turn every 2–3 hours; lying on the belly is best against sores. Stretch paralyzed fingers only with the wrist bent down, so they still close when the wrist bends back. Recovery can't be judged "during the first several days" (WHO, p. 427); most comes in the first months, and what remains after a year is "almost certainly there to stay" (DVC ch. 23, p. 2).

📚 Go deeper: DVC ch. 23 — skin, bladder and bowel, transfers and self-care after a spinal injury; WHO 1989, package 14 — picture lessons in washing, dressing and eating.

🩼 Crutches, canes and walkers

Which aid: usually bars → walker → crutches → elbow crutches → wide-based cane → cane → nothing (DVC ch. 63, p. 1). "A cane makes him use his leg. A crutch lets him avoid using his leg" (p. 9). Teach each person before they walk alone, and light the way at night (Hospital Corpsman, p. 98).

Aid Fit Source
Underarm crutch Top 2–3 fingers' width below the armpit (ch. 43 says 2–3, ch. 63 says 3). Weight on the hands, never the armpits: hanging on the tops "can cause paralysis of the hands" DVC ch. 43, p. 1; ch. 63, p. 6
Crutch handgrip Elbow bent a little; grip about ⅓ of the way down DVC ch. 63, p. 6
Walker Grips at elbow height, arms "half-bent" DVC ch. 63, p. 4
Cane Top at the wrist crease with the arm hanging; elbow slightly bent holding it (rule of thumb)

Walking patterns:

Stairs (rule of thumb; no book on the drive covers them): "Up with the good, down with the bad." Going up, the good leg steps up first, then the crutches or cane and the bad leg; going down, the crutches and bad leg first, then the good leg. Use a rail if there is one (rail in one hand, crutches or cane in the other), one step at a time, with a helper below the person both ways; the same for porch steps, banks and logs. Our ground: wet porches, mud and leaves are slick all winter, and damp cold can "lead to accidents" (WWHND ch. 8, p. 12); keep rubber tips sound and make them extra wide for soft ground (DVC ch. 63, p. 9).

Left: a person standing with underarm crutches, the crutch tops a gap below the armpits, elbows a little bent, hands on grips a third of the way down. Right, seen from above: both crutches and the hurt leg move forward together, then the good leg steps through; a cane held on the side opposite the weak leg moves forward with it, then the good leg follows Fit the crutch so the weight is on the hands, move the hurt leg together with its support, then step with the good leg (a diagram drawn for this guide).

Three drawings of a person walking with a frame: first moving the frame forward, then the weak leg, then the other leg With a walker: the frame first, then the weak leg, then the other (WHO 1989, p. 128).

🪵 Making walking aids

Expensive equipment isn't needed; most can be "made by a carpenter from available supplies" (WHO, p. 399).

🪓 Lifting, carrying and getting back to work

Lifting: "Use leg muscles—not back muscles"; kneel or squat; keep back, shoulders and neck straight; "Get someone to help you lift heavy objects … later on you may lose time because of a back injury" (WWHND ch. 26, p. 7). Straight legs with a twisted trunk raise the risk (ATP 3-21.18, p. 97; p. 98). Carrying: close to the body, on the back rather than one side, switch sides, split the load, no head straps (WWHND, p. 8); high and close costs less, and the cost climbs above 30% of body weight (ATP, p. 99). "Carrying water, wood, and older children for long distances can cause serious strain" (WWHND, p. 7): use a wheelbarrow, handcart or packboard (Bicycles & Carts guide, "How much one person can move").

After Heavy work Source
Arm cast off No force for another month WTND, p. 24
Shoulder dislocation Strength work from 6 weeks; no lifting or overhead work before (rule of thumb) WHO, p. 404
Spine fracture No bending or lifting for 3 months WHO, p. 429
Leg fracture Weight in steps: touch down → partial → full WHO, p. 400
Back pain Keep working, with changes VA/DoD, p. 2
Concussion No heights or machinery until recovered CDC 2024, p. 2

Pacing the return (rule of thumb, modeled on walk-to-run): the first week, work in blocks of about 10 minutes with 5 minutes' rest, three or four blocks, every other day; each week lengthen the work and shorten the rests, by no more than about 10%. Light jobs first:

👵 Children and older people

Children:

Older people:

⚠️ Old advice in the library to ignore

Book says Do this instead
Sprain: "cloths wrung out in very hot or very cold water"; movement of a sprained joint "ought not to be permitted" (Boy Scouts 1911, p. 293) Cold only at first, heat after 24 hours (Hospital Corpsman, p. 196); protect, then move (WHO, p. 399)
Sprain lotion of "lead acetate and opium" (Kephart Vol. 2, p. 430) No lead or opium. Cold, then heat; Kephart himself calls patent liniments "humbugs"
"Good Samaritan Liniment" with laudanum, turpentine, oil of wintergreen and chloroform (Lee's 1900, p. 36); "Liniment to Kill Pain" with chloroform (p. 295) Don't make them: chloroform and laudanum are poisons, and oil of wintergreen is dangerous if swallowed (Methyl salicylate)
Pinched nerve: "rest flat on your back for a few days" (WTND, p. 24) A day or two at most, then walking and the VA exercises (VA/DoD, p. 4)
"Bridge raiser … resting weight solely on head, fists and feet" (TM 8-292, pp. 61, 115) Never load the head or neck: the pelvic rock, or a back bridge with head and feet on the ground (FM 7-22, p. 102)
"Head: Roll it slowly in a full circle" (WWHND ch. 26, p. 13) After a neck injury or with arthritis, no full circles: turn, tilt and nod, self-moved (DVC ch. 42, p. 10) (rule of thumb)
Pumping a stiff joint back and forth, or forcing it (common practice) A slow, held stretch, count to 25, never forced (DVC ch. 42, pp. 6, 8)

🖼️ Pictures & diagrams

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