Speed of action is homeopathy’s greatest value in sports, according to Dr. Jean Marcel Ferret, sports physician to the 1998 world cup winning French soccer team. Many sports celebrities already know about homeopathy. David Beckham, Usain Bolt, along with tennis greats Martina Navratilova and Boris Becker have used homeopathic medicine for their injuries. The reason? Homeopathy works to speed healing and reduce pain and inflammation with the added bonus of no doping effects or side effects.
Arnica is by far the most common and successfully used remedy for sports injuries. It’s easy to use and should be considered first to ease the aching, tenderness and inflammation of any injury. Arnica also helps the body recover from the shock of an injury. Besides swiftly healing dark bruises, bad sprains and bumps to the head, Arnica is excellent for that exhaustion that comes from pushing your body a little too far. There are countless stories about the successes of this remedy, especially for severe injuries, when conventional medicine is necessary and laudable, but homeopathy comes in to spur healing and help manage pain. Since homeopathy does not conflict with conventional treatments, it may well be the perfect complementary medicine.
Bellis perennis is the better choice is muscle soreness is the only symptom–either after a long run or being in the garden all day.
Hypericum is Arnica of the nerves, so it heals crushed, pierced or torn fingertips, toes and nails. This remedy will also heal and reduce the pain of tailbone injuries, common from slipping backwards on the ice. Whenever pain is severe due to a lot of nerve endings in the area, take Hypericum.
Ruta: an excellent remedy for shin injuries because it heals kicks and bruises to the periosteum, which is the outer lining of the bone. It is also useful for repetitive strain injuries, such as tennis elbow, but try it in a low potency 6c – 12c repeated daily for about 3 weeks.
For broken bones though, use Arnica first to help the initial pain and inflammation and follow up with Symphytum in low potency, such as a 6c taken daily for about 3 weeks. Symphytum is known as “bone set” because it helps the bone knit together and heal well.
Bryonia is chosen for injuries, like a sprain, after Arnica has been given for a day or two, but the pain is not improving and is worse with the slightest motion. Bryonia is ideal for the pain and healing of broken ribs, but also sprains that are excruciating.
Rhus tox is the other remedy to consider for sprains. It is often necessary after Arnica when the symptoms are actually better while moving. If the sprain or soreness seems stiff and painful during or after rest—typically in the morning or at night–but then better during the day while moving–Rhus tox will ease it.
Finally, Calendula is a fantastic topical remedy for cuts and scrapes. Use Calendula cream or tincture (10 drops to ½ cup of water) instead of Arnica when it’s not a bruise, but a cut. Calendula has remarkable healing properties on the skin, preventing infection and scarring. Although you can find this remedy in homeopathic form, it usually is enough and works wonders as a cream or tincture.
Dosage: In homeopathy, always let the symptoms guide you to the correct remedy and the correct dosage. Choose the most suitable remedy in a 30c potency (strength), 2-5 pills on the tongue 2-3 times daily, unless otherwise recommended. Stop as symptoms improve or certainly within a few days for most cases. Be aware of how severe your injury is and what to expect from your body–nothing can replace rest, ice and common sense. For those smaller bumps and bruises, use the cream instead–or in cases when you need more than a few days worth of a homeopathic medicine, switch to a lower strength, 6c – 12c which you can safely repeat for a longer term.
Dr. Marcel Ferret, Sports physician to the world cup winning soccer team mentions how he began using homeopathy, “first occasionally, and then more and more. At first the athletes were surprised and even wary,” he says. ” So I explained how and why homeopathy acts. The greatest value in sports? Its speed of action. I can use it directly on the soccer field, within seconds of the trauma, and note the results almost immediately.” To access more information on which sports celebrities are using homeopathy and why, check out Dr. Malik’s blog on this subject.