I was sledding with my nephews and whacked my leg on a snow bank. Now I’ve got a bruise the size of a grapefruit on my thigh. I want to go skiing this weekend — any suggestions for ways to heal up fast?
Signed, Black and Blue in Buxton
Dear Black and Blue,
With slippery ice and winter sports, ‘tis the season for lumps and bumps. Unfortunately, minor traumas are an all-too-common occurrence when one maintains an active lifestyle (or when one accidentally catches air off some icy steps). At least you have a fun memory associated with that bruise! Fortunately, there are a number of things you can do to help your body heal faster.
The most important thing to do is to minimize inflammation. You know what inflammation is — that redness, warmth, swelling and pain that flares up after an injury. Inflammation is one of our body’s defense mechanisms for fighting off invaders such as viruses and bacteria. It also clears out cellular debris and dead tissue. But when inflammation gets out of hand, it begins to break down healthy tissue as well as the bad stuff. That can eventually turn into a chronic condition such as arthritis. It can also slow your healing time.
So, the first thing you need to do is put that inflammation in check. You may have heard of the pneumonic RICE. That stands for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. This is very important especially in the first 24 hours after an injury. Stay off that leg, put a bag of ice or frozen peas on the affected area, wrap an Ace bandage around it and try to keep it elevated above the level of your heart. Stay like this for 15 minutes, then take a break for 15 minutes, then repeat. This can be a real hassle, but if you’re able to stick with it you will definitely feel better. After the acute phase is over you can switch from ice to gentle heat. Use your judgment as to when to switch to heat — if the redness, swelling, warmth and pain are mostly better, the acute inflammation phase is over (usually after 24-36 hours). Now, instead of fighting inflammation, the idea is to increase blood flow to the area to bring in the healing cells, release growth factors and start to repair that tissue. Gentle exercise a day or two after may also help recovery time.
One more important factor to add-on to the end of RICE: Anti-inflammatories! There is a wide variety of options for fighting that inflammation and pain. My favorite is arnica Montana. This is a natural remedy found in health food stores that is excellent for minor traumas, bruises and acute joint pain. You can rub arnica cream directly onto the affected area, but I prefer the homeopathic variety which dissolves under your tongue. Follow the directions on the bottle and don’t skip a dose! Other good natural anti-inflammatories are turmeric/curcumin, boswelia, ginger and quercitin. I find these more useful in chronic inflammatory conditions.
What about ibuprofen, Naprosyn and other over-the-counter synthetic anti-inflammatories? When taken in small doses, they are probably safe for short-term use. However, they can start to damage the liver after a few days even when taken at the recommended dosages. If you’re looking for a healthy alternative, try the arnica — it gets me through ultimate Frisbee season!
Sean McCloy, MD, MPH, MA is the medical director at Maine Integrative Wellness in Portland. He is dual board-certified in family medicine and holistic medicine. He specializes in integrative family medicine and can be seen walking around the Old Port with his therapy dog, Hershey. Send questions for Sean to editor@themaineswitch.com.