*Note: Please see this discussion of what is meant by “herbal-cure.”
“The best common and the most efficient method of bruises treatment is applying a cold compress to the injured area….”
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. That’s the advice on a site sitting on Google page 1 return for “bruises treatment.” How sad that anyone would think this is anything close to “the best” treatment for bruises and sprains. It’s barely a good stop-gap measure.
Admittedly, most people simply endure bruises and sprains without much trouble or complaint, thinking of them little more than minor annoyances.
But the point is that there is no reason to GET a bruise (or allow one to develop) or live with one for any extended period of time when you have access to herbal remedies. If you can treat the wounded tissue as soon as you’ve been hit, you can usually avoid a bruise entirely. But even treating it later, after it’s already clearly a bruise, can decrease the length of pain and discoloration dramatically. (Much the same can be said about the duration of pain and discomfort, swelling and discoloration for a sprain as well, which I’ll cover next).
All of these are externally applied. I make several herbal remedies myself, one of which is simple enough I’m going to share with you how to do it yourself and keep it on hand. (By the way, all of these pain remedies are also excellent for the pain of arthritis, gout, etc., but the CamphoRelief is especially good for gout pain.)
Instructions for Cayenne Liniment:
Purchase a quart of high quality apple cider vinegar in a glass bottle (“high quality probably means get it from your favorite healthfood store). Pour all of it in a non-reactive pan (corning ware, pyrex, stainless steel), and add a rounded tablespoon cayenne pepper. Stir it in. Simmer gently (no hard boiling, please) with lid on for about 20-30 minutes, although timing is not critical. Let cool. Pour back into the glass bottle for keeping — you can filter the cayenne pepper out by pouring it through a coffee filter (non-bleached is best) or several layers of cheesecloth, but filtering isn’t strictly necessary.How to use:
As soon as you’ve experienced a blunt force trauma which is likely to bruise, apply some liniment to a soft cloth (a large coton ball or piece of sterile gauze, a damp washcloth, a piece of cotton flannel or a nice clean cotton rag), and hold on the site for as long as possible. The skin will heat up under the cayenne, and that’s exactly what you want. Don’t leave the liniment-soaked cloth on so long that it burns you and causes additional harm, just let the skin get good and “warm.” That should do it. The pain should subside and the bruise ought not happen. If the pain returns later, do it again.
This also works well for the pain of arthritis, gout, etc. (although I’m thinking this “miracle enzyme”is likely a much better “cure” for arthritis pain and a whole lot more). Use the cayenne liniment as described above, as needed.
Another remedy I use quite frequently for pain and to pre-empt bruises before they form or heal them once they’re there is one I turn to most often for the smallish, everyday complaints due to its simplicity and ease of use: homeopathic arnica. It’s unbelievably effective at preventing bruising before it happens and dissolving many kinds of exgternal pain if applied immediately. Like the herbal version of any arnica product, it should not be applied to broken skin. It’s inexpensive and a real boon to a busy life.
