Healing
Soft Tissue Injuries
There
are 3 essential keys for healing any type of injury.
These are circulation, nutrition and elimination. When
the body is injured, whether the result of an accident
(acute trauma), or through repeated stress (cumulative
trauma), the body reacts with inflammation, swelling,
muscle spasm and pain. As a result, the area of injury
becomes congested resulting in poor circulation. Good
blood flow or circulation is essential to healing. As
we know, blood carries healing nutrients into the cells
of our bodies and carries away the wastes from injury
or metabolism to be eliminated from the body. The blood
must be nutrient rich and the circulation must be good
to carry away the waste in order for proper and timely
healing to occur.
Some
suggestions on how you can help your body heal more
quickly.
Ice
Or Cryotherapy
Injury
to the body often results in inflammation, pain and muscles
spasms. The initial course of action should be to calm
the inflammation by putting ice on the injury. Always
begin your treatment of an acute injury with ice. Soft
gel ice packs can be purchased or you can make your own
with ice cubes in a zip lock bag. Frozen un-popped popcorn
kernels is a zip-lock work quite well and hold the cold
real well, as do frozen peas or corn. Hot
& Cold Hydrotherapy
Alternating
hot & cold is one of the most powerful healing modalities.
More powerful than drugs, herbs or even massage. The cold
will drive the blood from the painful area, and the heat
will bring the nutrient rich blood back to the area. By
alternating hot and cold, you can literally force the
blood in and out of the area, thereby delivering more
nutrients and carrying away more waste and inflammation,
greatly speeding up the healing.
Using
water directly against the skin is by far the most effective
way to speed up healing. In the shower or using a hand
held shower wand, run the water over the afflicted area
as hot as you can stand it for 30 to 60 seconds. Then
turn the water to all the way cold for 30 to 60 seconds.
(It's okay to hoot and holler). Lighten up the intensity
for Children, the elderly, and those who are constitutionally
very weak. (If your health is a question, please use
your common sense). Alternate back and forth with the
hot and cold for 15 minutes. Do this 7 to 10 times per
day. The shower experience can be intense and not everyone
is willing to do this.
Next
best, but not nearly as effective, is to alternate ice
pack and heating pad. Five to eight minutes of heat,
followed by five to eight minutes of ice. Alternate
for 30 minutes. Do this 7 to 10 times per day. Can't
do this 7 times per day? Do your best. Anything is better
than nothing.
Deep
Heat Ointment
from Western BotanicalsTM is a marvelous
healing ointment that can be rubbed directly into the
painful area (provided it is not an open wound). It
is a Powerful deep penetrating heating ointment that
relieves pain, inflammation, spasm and stiffness in
joints, tendons, ligaments and muscle. It will also
increase the cellular repair and greatly reduce healing
time. Use this oil for arthritis, bursitis, Tendonitis,
carpal tunnel, sprains, strains, and any muscle or bone
pain. To intensify the treatment rub the ointment into
the body each time after doing a very hot shower or
the hot and cold therapy.
Complete
Tissue Repair (CTR) Ointment
is effectively used to treat injuries, particularly
for those areas or patients who can't tolerate the deep
heat. Complete Tissue Repair (CTR) Ointment is also
excellent when used on open sores, cuts and any healing
wounds.
As
with any injury do not neglect the benefits of Massage/Bodywork/Reflexology,
Diet Stretching and Exercise, Chiropractic, Herbal Cleanses
and Body/Mind Influences on healing. |
