The traditional method of treating a ganglion cyst involves hitting it hard with a heavy. Ganglion cysts can appear on the lower extremities as well. Like bone spurs, diagnosing a ganglion cyst consists of a combination of a physical exam and an xray, mri, or ultrasound. A small number of people have ongoing pain and stiffness in the area after surgery. However, there is limited evidence that this method is safe or effective. Roughly half of ganglion cysts removed this way will come back.
You will find stories of our readers who ventured to try this remedy on this page. The size of the lumps can range from peasize to nearly an inch in diameter. People should not remove a ganglion by placing their hand on a firm surface such as a table and hitting the ganglion with a large book or other hard object. On the top of the wrist, the ganglion attaches to the scapholunate ligament, which connects the two wrist bones that are on the thumb side of the wrist. A ganglion cyst is one of those bumps you sometimes see on. Check out the awesome video of a book hitting this huge cyst and popping the lump. They most commonly occur in young and middle aged females. Even if you have a pain threshold high enough to be on the receiving end. A ganglion cyst is a common, benign noncancerous, fluidfilled lump found on joints or tendons. A ganglion cyst is a tumor or swelling on top of a joint or the covering of a tendon tissue that connects muscle to bone. When you get a cyst on your wrist, many say its best to hit it with a heavy book. Blunt force may be an effective treatment for ganglion cysts ncbi. How to use a book to get rid of a ganglion cyst earth clinic. Typically, ganglion cysts grow slowly and occur on the foot or ankle.
A ganglion cyst is a benign ball of fluid that grows on a tendon or joint. Inside the cyst is a thick lubricating fluid similar to that found in joints or around tendons. I have a ganglion cyst on my right wrist that is apparently pressing on a nerve and right over a tendon. I had my mother help take video this time so you could see how big the lump in my wrist was before i took care of business. Anonymous hitting with a book is terrible, outdated advice. Historical the bible or other large book has been used to hit the ganglion. Feb 14, 2020 a ganglion cyst is a tumor or swelling benign, not cancerous usually on top of a joint or the covering of a tendon tissue that connects muscle to bone. Jul 06, 2019 ganglion cysts, also known as bible cysts or bible bumps, are small, round sacs or lumps filled with a viscous synovial fluid. If the ganglion cyst is causing you a lot of pain, go to the doctor to see if they recommend. Can you get rid of a ganglion cyst by bashing it with a book. Ganglion cyst of the foot orthopaedic and spine center. Most docs would rather drain the cyst with a needle and if the cyst returns remove it by surgery. Oct 17, 2018 a ganglion cyst is a common, benign noncancerous, fluidfilled lump found on joints or tendons. The pain someone feels is due to the cyst pressing against the nerves in the wrist.
A ganglion cyst is a small sac of fluid that forms over a joint or tendon tissue that connects muscle to bone. The ideal book for the task, apparently, is the bible, hence the nickname for ganglia being bible cysts or bible bumps. Goes through the thread collecting all bibles, and all other books of sufficient size and weight to be used to rupture a ganglion cyst. The treatment didnt work, and it could cause injury to the joint or to the parts of the body surrounding it. One way to cope with having a ganglion cyst is by taking antiinflammatory painkillers like ibuprofen or naproxen sodium to reduce swelling and pain. Ganglion cysts occasionally develop on the palm side of the wrist near the thumb and on the fingertips, just below the cuticle. Inside the cyst is a thick, sticky, clear, colorless, jellylike material. A historical method of treatment for a ganglion cyst was to strike the lump with a large and heavy book, causing the cyst to rupture and drain into the surrounding tissues. A good smack will deflate the cyst temporarily but the fluid will collect again.
The treatment that is no longer recommended is hitting the cyst with anything large and heavy, like a book. This free remedy only costs the amount of courage needed to implement it. If a cyst becomes irritated or inflamed, a cortisone injection may be recommended. Apr 26, 2004 ganglion cyst from golf posted in general golf opinions. Surgical excision of the ganglion cyst wall is necessary in order for you to be cured.
This ruptures the cyst, thereby releasing the fluid and easing the pain. Sure its safe to whack your ganglion with a bible, but unfortunately its really not too effective in the long run. It wont hurt to actually pop the cyst which sometimes happens on its own, by the way, but if you hit the cyst with a book you might bruise the area around where you hit it just like if you had. If a lump pops up on your wrist, it could be a ganglion cyst.
And since the largest and most commonly found book in most households was a bible, they were called bible cysts. Although you can get them near any joint, 60 to 70 percent of ganglion cysts develop on the front. No one knows exactly what causes a ganglion cyst to develop. Is it safe to hit a ganglion cyst on the wrist with a book. Usually, the cyst works its way to the layers just below the skin, so the surgeon must work all the way down the stalk of the cyst to where it reaches into the tendon or joint capsule to get the best results. Hitting a ganglion with a book is the old wives tale. I doubt your training after reading that suggestion. Thats because a common home remedy in the past was hitting the cyst with a bible or other thick book to try to make the cyst rupture or pop. Ganglion cysts are lumps that, most commonly, appear on the back of the wrist. While some describe the method as smashing or whacking, it may not even take quite the force these words would imply. For a start, hitting a part of your body hard with a heavy book will hurt. Terrible pain from wrist tendonitis and ganglion cyst.
Avoiding the overuse that caused the cyst, massage, pressure bandages, and once again, avoiding the overuse. Can you get rid of a ganglion cyst by bashing it with a. There is a small recurrence rate of about 1015 per cent. Seeing a doctor is beneficial, even though many patients do not experience pain from a ganglion cyst. If the cyst is on the bottom side of the wrist, it can push into the radial artery, which is a major artery. I wasnt done with that, and i dont even have a ganglion cyst nor a gangly young sister. Wearing a brace or splint as instructed by a health care provider may prevent the cyst from growing. A ganglion is a gelatinous fluidfilled, outpouching of the lining of a joint or tendon. Is it okay to whack a bibleganglion cyst with a book.
First, find a hardback book that you can easily handle with one hand. Mar 29, 2019 one way to cope with having a ganglion cyst is by taking antiinflammatory painkillers like ibuprofen or naproxen sodium to reduce swelling and pain. Fluid drained from popping a ganglion is reabsorbed over time. An old treatment method was to take a heavy book often a bible and smash the cyst by hitting the persons hand with the book. Ganglion cysts occur most frequently on the back of the hand and wrist. If it is painful or very noticeable the only method to definitively del a with a ganglion is surgery, done in an outpatient facility by an orthopedic, or hand surgeon. Im due to see a hospital consultant with a view to its being either aspirated or removed. Ganglion cysts, also known as bible cysts or bible bumps, are small, round sacs or lumps filled with a viscous synovial fluid. A ganglion cyst is a fluidfilled bump that forms under the skin near a joint, most commonly in the wrist area, and sometimes in the shoulder, elbow, hip, knee, ankle, or foot regions. Historically, ganglion cysts have been referred to as a bible cyst. It typically occurs on the wrist or hand, but it can also appear on the ankle or foot. But the interior of cysts like ganglions generally stay fluid. This is a simple procedure that can be done under local or general anaesthetic.
However, this is a complicated procedure and not necessarily a permanent fix, as the cyst may come back. Q i have a ganglion cyst on my right wrist that is apparently pressing on a nerve and right over a tendon. A ganglion cyst is a round, fluidfilled lump of tissue that usually appears along tendons or joints. It grows out of a joint or the lining of a tendon, looking like a tiny water balloon on a stalk, and seems to occur when the tissue that surrounds a joint or a tendon bulges out of place. This will give you courage to increase the force you use. A traditional remedy involves hitting a ganglion cyst with a heavy object, such as a book. It is intended for general informational purposes only and does. The pain should decrease as the cyst becomes smaller.
A ganglion cyst is one of those bumps you sometimes see on peoples wrist. Increase force if needed until the cyst is gone or you no longer feel comfortable doing so. Donates collected literary works to the salvation army hey gimme back my tony hillerman novel. What doctors wish you knew about ganglion cysts the healthy. They usually form over a joint or tendon in the fingers, wrists, ankles or soles of the feet. Also a huge thanks to the business of being social book from the library which. Ganglion cyst of the foot orthopaedic and spine center of. Sometimes a corticosteroid is injected afterward to further ease any discomfort. The thing to be concerned about is that over time, the connective tissue bubble can become tougher and tougher which makes hitting them with a heavy book potentially painful if not dangerous. You can also apply an ice pack to the ganglion cyst or massage the area to get rid of swelling. The backs of the hands and wrists are most commonly affected, but ganglion cysts can also grow on the feet, knees and ankles. It may be that the force of the bash disperses the fluid in the cyst or puts it back where it came from. Apr 08, 2020 the treatment that is no longer recommended is hitting the cyst with anything large and heavy, like a book.
Although many nonmedically trained people may advise hitting a ganglion cyst with a book to cause it to rupture and go away, i would not recommend this course of action as it can lead to infection or other problems. If you had one of these cysts, the athome treatment was to smash it with a book. Depending on the size, cysts may feel firm or spongy. Home remedies for ganglion cysts top 10 home remedies. My general doctor diagnosed it as a ganglion cyst, which he said was common for golfers due to stress on the tendons. These cysts, called dorsal wrist ganglions, are the most common type of cyst. It looks like a sac of liquid cyst located just under the skin. For the past couple of weeks, ive had a peasize knot appear on the back of my wrist. A wrist ganglion cyst is a swelling that usually occurs around the hand or wrist. Ganglion cyst a ganglion cyst also called bible cyst is a fluid filled sac that can and does grow in a variety of places on the surface of the body, most always in the wrist area. Sep 26, 2019 a traditional remedy involves hitting a ganglion cyst with a heavy object, such as a book. Does hitting a ganglion cyst with a book hurt answers. While it may sound barbaric, a common way to swiftly get rid of a ganglion cyst is to hit it with a book. A ganglion cyst is a fluidfilled bump associated with a joint or tendon sheath.
One traditional treatment was to hit them with a heavy book, usually a family bible, which would disrupt the capsule holding the fluid of the cyst. Ganglion cysts can occur on the back of the hand or on the palm side of the wrist. The cause is unknown, but it is thought that small tears in the tendon membrane or joint capsule allow the contents to squeeze out. Ganglion lumps and bumps university hospitals plymouth. In this video we give killing it a go the old and well outdated method hitting it with a book bible traditionally. A ganglion cyst is a tumor or swelling benign, not cancerous usually on top of a joint or the covering of a tendon tissue that connects muscle to bone. Historically, a bible was the largest or only book in any given household, and was employed for this treatment. In any case, this isnt the best way to fix the problem. Ganglion cyst from golf posted in general golf opinions.
Doctors dont recommend this treatment, but occasionally a cyst will rupture if a child falls on it. It may break the cyst and cure your problem but then there is at least 50 % chance it will return. Ganglion cysts wristhand lumps and bumps orthopedic. The conventional medical view of ganglion cysts is that they are idiopathic, meaning that definitive causes are not known.
Trying to treat the lesion by hitting it with a book is discouraged. Ganglion cysts for parents childrens health system. An old folk remedy for a ganglion cyst included thumping the cyst with a heavy object such as a book. Tap the cyst a couple of times lightly on the cyst. Therefore, aspirating it with a syringe usually wont do anything because the fluid will leak back in from the synovial space or the tendon sheath which regenerates the fluid. They start off small, but can grow to the size of a golf ball. Ganglion cysts are the most common soft tissue tumors of the hand. As the name implies, you simply hit the ganglion cyst with a book. Ganglion cysts communicate with the synovial space between the wrist bones. In earlier times, these growths were called bible cysts and were treated by physical blow. They are not harmful or cancerous, although they may cause some people discomfort.
You might have heard a ganglion cyst called a bible cyst or bible bump. Ganglion cysts usually appear as bumps on the back of the hand and at either side of the wrist. If a ganglion cyst resists all other treatment, it can be removed by surgery done with a general anesthetic. Drainage and or cortisone shot will give you temporary relief. The surgery is an outpatient procedure that will require two to six weeks of recuperation before you can resume your normal activities. Its not clear why hitting a ganglion cyst with a book works. Watching a lump grow larger is unnerving, but the good. Sometimes painful, sometimes not, they are benign growths that are generally annoying but are not dangerous. The ganglion is a cystic selling from the joint capsule. They are also called bible cysts because in the past, treatment included hitting them with a bible or a large book. If the cyst is questionable as to its origin, a biopsy may be performed to ensure the material is a noncancerous joint fluid and not arising from a cancerous material. Painful cysts can also be drained with a thin needle after the area is numbed.