Summer Homeopathic First Aid Series #9
Treatment for Accidents, Trauma, Bruising,
Pain and Swelling
Arnica Montana 200C
Hello, Hello,
I hope this email finds you doing well. Last week, I mentioned the homeopathic medicine, Arnica Montana. This is usually the first homeopathic that people learn when they dive into learning about homeopathy. Most of you already are quite familiar with it. If you are not, however, sit up and pay attention; Arnica Montana is definitely one you want to learn, know, carry and use. This is an absolute must have in the first aid kit, in the purse, and in the glove box of the car.
When I talk to people about using Arnica, most people are using the 30C potency, the blue tube from Boiron. However, in the event of trauma, I find that Arnica Montana 200C is definitely the way to go. This higher potency takes Arnica’s healing effects to the next level. In the Boiron brand, the tube will be purple.
So, what are these healing effects that I speak of? The keynote of Arnica Montana is accidents. If there has been an accident of any kind that has led to trauma to the body, Arnica should be the first homeopathic medicine that you reach for. This is another case where the actions of the herbal Arnica Montana aka Leopard’s Bane and the homeopathic preparation have some overlap. The Arnica flowers and the homeopathic preparations are known for their ability to heal and relieve trauma to the soft tissues of the body. This amazing remedy heals bruises, sprains, strains, and seat belt injuries. It can even help with hemorrhaging or bleeding due to trauma or surgery. If you are into sports, definitely pack along the Arnica. Arnica Montana is the weekend warrior’s best friend.
Arnica is most useful when the nature of the injury is more bruise like rather than an open wound. It is particularly useful after sprains or strains, especially if there is much bruising, swelling and pain.
There is a miraculous protocol for tooth extractions or surgery. I have seen this work over and over again with different people coming into my office. They tell me that the surgeons and physical therapists ask, why aren’t you in more pain? Why didn’t you need to use your pain medication? Why isn’t there much more bruising? How are you recovering so quickly? Arnica is the reason.
Here is one extremely effective protocol for surgery and tooth extractions. The night before the procedure, take one dose of Arnica Montana 200C. Take another dose the following morning. Take another dose just before entering the surgical room or dental chair. Once the procedure is finished, take another dose as soon as possible. Continue to take one dose of the Arnica Montana 200C every two hours. Continue as needed to reduce the pain. The Arnica not only helps to control bleeding and alleviate the pain, it also reduces swelling and decreases the likelihood of infection. If the Arnica Montana 200C does not relieve the pain, then talk to me about a higher potency like 1M or 10M. If there is nerve injury, Hypericum might be indicated as well. We talked about this last week.
An interesting fact about Arnica is that it can be used for current, acute injury and also old injuries where it seems as though the person has never recovered, especially old head injuries.
Homeopathic medicines often include interesting tendencies in the person who would benefit from using that particular remedy. In the case of Arnica, often the person feels like the bed is too hard. Even years after an accident, if suddenly the person feels like the bed is too hard, Arnica could very well be indicated. Someone needing Arnica most often does not want to be touched or consoled. They are also extremely sensitive to pain.
I personally used Arnica Montana 200C twice in my house last week. I managed to drop one of those really big maglight flashlights right onto the top of my left foot. By the time I stopped seeing stars, there was already an egg forming on top of my foot and the bruising was starting. I was thinking there would be no way I can wear a shoe on that foot. I hobbled to my first aid cabinet and took 4 pellets of the OHM brand of Arnica Montana 200C. Within 15 minutes the bruising was starting to recede, the egg was diminishing, and the pain was already completely gone. I only had to take one dose and within 90 minutes my foot was completely back to normal. Without the Arnica, I’m sure I would have suffered for at least several days, if not weeks. If my foot had felt better, but wasn’t “normal, I would have continued to take more every 4-12 hours depending on the severity.
My second use of the Arnica last week was given to my dog, Gracie. She was out in the yard, and she goes berserk if she sees another dog (so frustrating). She saw a dog and took off running as fast as she could, through the pond of water from all of the rain to the area of the fence where the dog was. She does not like water, so when she was in the water, I think she panicked and ran funny. When I finally managed to get her into the house, I noticed she was limping. I didn’t see any thorns or anything in her paws and figured it was a muscular thing from running like a maniac. I gave her four pellets of the Arnica Montana 200C. When giving homeopathic to an animal, give one pellet at a time, if you can. Gracie will swallow a treat whole, but she actually chews the pellets and swallows them. She would improve after a dose, but then it would come back, not as severe, so I would give her another round of four pellets. I continued to do that all week, based on her symptoms. I think in total I gave her 4 doses. I have used homeopathy many times on my dog and have saved hundreds of dollars in vet bills.
I had someone in my office about a month ago who had fallen and landed on her face. When she came into my office the entire right side of her face was badly bruised. The coloring was very dark. She didn’t know about Arnica, so she hadn’t taken it. Although the fall had been about a week prior, her bruising and pain was still significant. There was also question about head injury. I sent her home with the Arnica Montana 200C and by the following week, her pain was gone and the bruising on her face was about 80% improved. Had she taken it immediately upon falling, it likely would not have been near as severe.
Finally, I want to share a story of my first introduction to Arnica Montana. When I was in acupuncture school, I was walking across the street to a restaurant with some colleagues. Somehow, one of the girls I was with got hit by a Seattle city bus. She was a very petite girl and the bus threw her pretty far. One of the other girls had Arnica with her and she gave the girl who was hit by the bus a dose while we waited for the ambulance. When the ambulance arrived, we gave her one more dose of the Arnica and she left for the hospital. We were all surprised to see her in class the next day. By the time she arrived at the hospital her pain had diminished significantly. She had some mild bruising, but no internal bleeding or broken bones. No one could believe it. She continued to take Arnica that night and for several days, but she reports that she could not believe how much it helped with her physical injury and pain, as well as the mental and emotional shock she was experiencing.
I could tell you so many more success stories. If you decide to add only one homeopathic medicine to your first aid kit, Arnica Montana 200C would be the one I recommend, hands down. There are topical creams and gels that contain Arnica. These are nice, but never use them on an open wound. I find the internal Arnica to be my favorite. The body recognizes it as instructions to heal and will decide where to put the healing energy. Topically, it gets used where you apply the cream or gel. It is perfectly fine to use the internal and external preparations in tandem.
For a reminder on how to handle and take these magnificent energy medicines, please read the article on How to handle homeopathic remedies. If you want to purchase these remedies online, you can use my online dispensary found fullscript. If you are interested in the OHM brand, you can contact me and pick it up at the office.
School is back in session next week, so I guess that means summer is almost over. I am contemplating if I should end the homeopathic first aid series here or continue for a few more weeks. Please let me know if you are interested in learning more homeopathic first aid treatment. Have a wonderful week.
Toni Eatros, Acupuncture Physician
239-260-4566
www.AcupunctureSolutionsOnline.com
|