One of the injuries most frequently acquired during sports is a contusion, so to speak bruising to the muscular tissue. While most such bruising is of little concern and will quickly resolve on by itself, more severe contusion that involves deeper lying tissue, may be a complication to athletes, causing them to have to refrain from any physical activity for quite a long time.
Damage to tissue beneath the skins surface may involve the crushing of muscles and connective tissue, and the rupturing of small, peripheral vessels, leading to the leakage of cellular fluids and blood into the surrounding tissue. The blue or blackish discoloration of the affected is a sign of such fluid leakage. The skin is usually not broken.
Contusions occur when an injury is produced by a direct, blunt, forceful impact to the body’s soft tissue, such as a blow, falling or jamming. At the located area there may be swelling and pain. There may be weakness and stiffness of the affected part. In some cases there may be the formation of a hematoma (blood collected at the point of impact that may be felt as a lump on the site of injury).
Complications to this type of injury are deep contusions impacting internal organs or bones.
Conventional 1st aid: RICE – Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevate; Medication for pain relief.
Major 1st aid homeopathic remedies for contusion are:
Arnica: For all types of contusion. Great pain relief remedy
Bellis perennis: Follows well after Arnica. Rapid onset of healing.
Hamamelis: Indicated where Arnica fails to do something.
However there are other remedies for such injuries: Aconite, Calendula, Conium, Echinacea, Hypericum, Ledum, Rhus tox., Ruta, Symphytum to mention a few.
References:
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (2016)Muscle Contusion (Bruise), Available at: http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/ (Accessed: June 2016).
- Boericke, W. (2004) Pocket manual of homeopathic materia medica and repertory New Delhi: B.Jain publishers Ltd.
- Clarke, J. (1994) A Dictionary of practical materia medica New Delhi: B.Jain publishers Ltd.
- Morgan, Lyle (1988) Homeopathic treatment of Sports Injuries, Rochester: Healing Arts Press.
- Walker, Brad (2007) The Anatomy of Sports Injuries, Chichester: Lotus publishing.
- WebMD LLC (2016)Contusions Treatment & Management, Available at:http://emedicine.medscape.com/ (Accessed: June 2016).
CareClin 