[Some material from this article is excerpted from our book, Homeopathic Self-Care: The Quick and Easy Guide for the Whale Family, Prima Publishing, 1997]
Try It and You Will Be Convinced
Arnica montana has undoubtedly won more converts to homeopathy than any other medicine. Pop some Arnica pellets as soon as possible after a strain, sprain, or bruise and you will likely be singing its praises. The response is usually swift and impressive, whether or not you use a topical preparation or take it internally. Do remember not to apply Arnica, but rather take it internally, if there is an open cut or wound because a rash can occur in some sensitive individuals.
Once you've had success with Arnica, which, in our experience, is pretty much guaranteed, then you will want to venture further afield and try homeopathic self-care for other acute injuries. Once you are hooked, you'll definitely want a self-care kit. The medicines are a lot cheaper than buying them individually and last for life, unless, of course, you use them up, which you will do with Arnica once friends and family know how effective it is. For more longstanding sports injuries or ones that are not easily amenable to self-treatment, find a homeopath. The likelihood of your finding rapid relief and avoid having an acute sports injury become chronic, as well as for ongoing physical therapy and surgery, is generally quite high.
How and When to Take the Homeopathic Medicines for Sports Injuries
* Take three pellets of 30C every four hours until you see improvement.
* If you see no improvement after three doses, take a different medicine.
* After you first notice improvement, take another dose only if symptoms begin to return.
* Lower potencies (6X, 60, 30X) may need to be taken more often (every hour).
* Higher potencies (200X, 2000, 1M) may need to be taken only once unless symptoms definitely return after being better.
Indications for The Most Common Medicines for Sports Injuries
Below we provide user-friendly information about what to take and when. The bolded information shows you the most common and important features of each medicine. In Homeopathic Self-Care, this information is illustrated with charts and icons. This format is not quite as thorough but should help you self-treat a number of acute sports injuries. Feel free to use your standard first-aid measures along with homeopathy. Just avoid liniments, mineral ice, and therapeutic ultrasound, which may prevent the homeopathy from working.
For chronic injuries, a much more extensive interview is needed along with periodic followups for at least six months. In this case, consult a professional homeopath.
Bruises
Most of the time Arnica is all you need to treat bruises. We include a few other medicines in the rare case that Arnica does not help considerably within twenty-four hours.
Arnica (Leopard's bane)
Key symptoms
The main medicine for any trauma resulting in bruising
Use this one first unless one of the others fits exactly
Mind
Wants to be left alone and refuses help
Says there...
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