Q: Can natural medicine help me heal after an injury?
A: Absolutely! The first thing I recommend is carrying homeopathic Arnica with you at all times, so you can use this remedy for any acute injury or trauma. It is very helpful for coping with shock and also alleviates pain and swelling. Hydrotherapy is another natural modality that helps activate the body’s natural immunity and heal from injury. Hydrotherapy is simply the use of water in any form therapeutically, so this would include icing and hot packs. Generally after an acute injury it is recommended to ice for the first 1-3 days, and then either use heat or contrast hydrotherapy with alternating hot and cold. The contrast helps stimulate white blood cell production, moving blood and lymph to get nutrients into the area and remove waste. Herbal anti-inflammatories such as turmeric, boswellia and rosemary can also greatly support the healing process and alleviate swelling and pain, and have fewer adverse effects than non-steroidal anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen. Having recently been injured myself, I used all of these as well as the wonderful healing modalities of my colleagues including acupuncture, craniosacral therapy, chiropractic and physical therapy with physiotherapy TENS unit to heal and manage pain.
Leave a Reply