Health Hotline Magazine | March 2024

BUILD YOUR NATURAL FIRST AID KIT — — Natural solutions for any sting, scrape, bite, or burn that comes your way

By Liz Mueller

Homeopathic Remedies for Fast-Acting Relief At the top of the list of items to always have in your natural first aid kit are homeopathic remedies, both topical and oral. Homeopathic formulas can be especially effective when treating the itching, burning, redness, and pain associated with stings and bites, an unfortunate encounter with poison ivy, oak, or sumac, and other contact allergic-response reactions. Some must-have homeopathic remedies include apis for stings that cause rapid swelling and redness; ledum for stings and bites that are painful and throbbing, but with little swelling; grindelia , used topically for poison ivy/oak and stings accompanied by intense itching and burning; and Ssssting Stop ® , a topical formula that is indicated for stings as well as poison ivy/oak. Another homeopathic remedy that’s essential to any first aid kit is arnica , which has been used for centuries to reduce the pain and inflammation associated with sprains, bruises, and wounds. Today, arnica is used as a popular homeopathic remedy both topically and orally for the treatment of bruises and sprains, as well as swelling, muscle aches, joint pain, burns, and inflammation from insect bites. In one trial, a homeopathic therapy consisting of an oral dose of arnica 200 CH (CH is a standard European measurement for homeopathic remedies; the equivalent in the U.S. is 200 CK), with and without a combination of two creams containing arnica, showed promising results for sports-related ankle sprains. Treatment with oral arnica, alone or in combination with arnica creams, for six and 12 days, reduced pain more efficiently compared to the control group. And while it’s not a homeopathic remedy, Bach’s Rescue Remedy ® is a blend of flower essences that is wonderful for calming someone who has just been injured. You can find it in dropper form, a spray, or pastilles. There is even one specifically for pets! There’s a natural rhythm to the seasons we have come to love and appreciate, and one of the most beloved may be the transition from winter to spring, when we begin to defrost, waken from our hibernations, and get back outdoors. But, with our return to outdoor activities, there come some not-so-pleasant encounters and pitfalls. Take, for example, the inevitable wasp sting, the excruciating itch of poison ivy, a painful bruise, or scraped knee. Before you jump feet first into the great outdoors this season, be prepared with your own natural first aid kit that promises to not only relieve symptoms fast, but without the unwanted side e ects that can come with conventional treatments.

Arnica

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