Before you reach for Painkillers, try this!
I stopped taking pain killers long before I discovered homeopathy because they just didn’t feel right for my body and made me feel, “yuck.” When a friend told me about homeopathy, it felt like a living angel had been introduced into my life. I no longer had to deal with pain (usually ineffectively!) through a heat or ice pack.
Homeopathy can be used for bruises, bumps, strains, sprains, an over zealous gym session and much more.
I had just started a new job on a sailing yacht (not the ideal time to be injured), when I twisted my ankle badly. The kind where you immediately know: this is not good. I could barely put weight on it. In mild panic, I messaged my homeo friends: “Please help! I can’t not walk I’ll lose my job!!”
I took the remedies they suggested within about half an hour, rested, alternated heat and ice, went to bed and hoped for the best. The next morning, I got out of bed and carried on with my day. It wasn’t until about an hour later, mid-organising, that I suddenly stopped. Wait… wasn’t I injured? I moved my ankle around in disbelief. No pain. Nothing. It felt slightly outrageous, if I’m honest. And also completely magical. Naturally, I would like other people to have this golden nugget of information!
It would be helpful to have the following remedies on hand, especially if you or a loved one is accident prone. The sooner you take the remedy, the sooner things will shift towards recovery.
Arnica Montana
Many people have heard of Arnica even if they haven’t heard of homeopathy. It’s the go to remedy for bruises and bumps or physical shock and trauma to the body. Especially if you find yourself saying, “I’m alright!” even when you’re clearly not. It can be taken topically or orally - or both. If you only have one remedy in your home, let it be this one.
Situations it may be useful for:
Immediately after injury
Post-workout soreness (“why did I do that class?”)
After physical strain
Post-surgery
Symptoms indicating this remedy may be helpful are:
Bruising - even if you can’t see it yet. Those falls where you know the bruise is going to come out days later
Sore muscles, especially after exertion
Pain worse from touch “don’t touch me!”
Better for cold applications
Better for lying down
Irritable or dismissive to the pain and others trying to care for it
Bryonia
The “don’t make me move!” remedy.
Situations it may be useful for:
Dislocations
Pain associated with fracture
Sprains and strains
Trauma if Arnica doesn’t help
Symptoms indicating this remedy may be helpful are:
Inflammation of joints
Stitching, sharp, cutting or tearing pain
Hot, red, swollen and shiny
Worse for slightest motion
Worse for touch
Better for lying and rest
Better for pressure - bandaging or putting a brace on the area
May be irritable and angry
Wants to be alone and have quiet
Rhus Tox
Think of it as the stiff, restless, I need to move remedy.
Situations it may be useful for:
Any joint pain or injury
Acute sprain
Dislocation
Over exertion - maybe at the gym!
Symptoms indicating this remedy may be useful are:
Tearing, drawing, burning, stitching or shooting pain
Soreness that feels bruised like you’ve been beaten or sprained
Wants to be alone to cry
Restless anxiety
Worse on initial movement or after rest
Worse cold application
Better after continued motion and walking
Better for warmth
Ruta Graveolens
When the pain or trauma goes deep!
Situations it may be useful for:
Joint, tendon or cartilage injury
Repetitive strain
Sprains and strains
Symptoms indicating this remedy may be useful are:
Bruised pain, aching soreness
Parts feel as if they’re broken
Worse for sitting or standing
Worse initial motion
Better continued motion
Better for pressure and rubbing
Feelings of anxiety
Low mood
So which one do you choose?
You might look at this list and think, well they all sound like the right one. If you’re unsure, Arnica is always a safe and helpful place to start after injury.
From there, you can refine based on how the pain behaves:
Worse from movement → think Bryonia
Better from movement → think Rhus tox
Deeper structural soreness → think Ruta
There are many different theories on how homeopathic remedies should be taken. Some say one remedy at a time, other schools of thought think combination remedies are best. If more than one remedy sounds right to you, then feel free to take a combination to feel better as quickly as possible!
A final thought
We’ve been taught to override pain and push through it. Homeopathy teaches us something different. It invites us to become more in tune to our body and listen to what it has to say. Then we can support our bodies in real time, in a way that’s gentle, responsive, and when it’s the right match, surprisingly effective.
And once you experience that shift for yourself, it’s hard to go back!