Bruises and Natural Treatments

Mark Perren-Jones from the Haven Spa and Health Clinic

I hadn’t intended on writing an article on bruises (or contusions if you would like the medical term) but my wonderful sister managed to slip over on the netball court in Australia and couldn’t help but send me the photos of her monster bruise. Please be warned, if you are faint of heart do not see these photos as they make your eyes water just looking at them. The photos are from day 2, day 4, day 5 and day 7. I suggested to my sister that maybe a coaching job would be safer (and less painful) but she is just as keen to get back out there on the court as ever (when her bruise subsides.) That’s my sis!

So let’s first get to know what actually happens when you are bruised.

An Impact to soft tissues causes capillaries, small blood vessels under the skin, to break. Then the Red blood cells leak out of the capillaries and collect under the skin, which accounts for the color of the bruise. The color changes in bruises over time which signals that healing is in progress and the body is metabolizing the blood cells in the skin.

It’s quite common to bruise more easily as you get older and skin becomes thinner. Blood vessel walls thin with age as well, and may become so fragile that a bruise appears even though you have not impacted anything with sufficient force to notice the event. I am sure you have seen a great aunty or grandmother who just bumps into something ever so slightly and they receive a huge bruise.

On the other hand, bruising easily, or even spontaneously without trauma, could signify a medical problem that needs attention. It could mean that bone marrow isn’t producing enough platelets, components of blood that literally plug leaks in the walls of injured blood vessels. This disorder, thrombocytopenia, may be symptomatic of alcohol abuse or of one of several diseases such as anemia or leukemia. A complete blood count can rule out these possibilities.

There are also people who bruise easily because of the drugs they are taking; these can be seen in people using drugs such as: Chlorothiazide, Warfarin (coumadin), aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, quinine (for restless legs) and quinidine (for cardiac arrhythmias) as can long-term use of corticosteroids such as prednisone.

If you have a deficiency of vitamin K (found in dark green, leafy vegetables) this can also cause you to bruise easily. You’re most likely to run low on vitamin K if you’ve been taking antibiotics that destroy vitamin K-synthesizing microorganisms in the digestive tract. Another common deficiency is from vitamin C. Vitamin C is essential for synthesis of collagen and other compounds that affect the skin’s and blood vessel’s ability to withstand the impacts that lead to bruises.

So enough of the theory I hear you say, lets get to the

‘How do I treat my own bruise’ section.

Ok then here tis’:

• Ice

You want to ice the area for the first day or two to decrease the bleeding and then after this period use some heat packs. By the way, here’s a tip. Place two parts water with one part alcohol in to a bag and pop it into the freezer and you will have a nice frozen ‘gel pack’ that moulds to your limbs/joints instead of a hard icy pack of cubes.

• Rescue remedy cream

This is a Bach flower cream that many of my clients absolutely swear by. I suggest that you put one in your cupboard for bruises and all of those little scrapes and bumps. Its brilliant stuff! Use it at least 4 times a day on the bruise/s.

• Vitamin C

Up your intake of vitamin C. this will most certainly help if you happen to be deficient and it also strengthens the blood vessel walls. Apart from this, vitamin C does a multitude of other functions within the body; you really can’t go wrong taking it. Also, eat plenty of foods rich in vitamin C and bioflavonoids

• Cayenne pepper and Vaseline

Yes, it’s a Chinese medicine remedy (not from thousands of years ago obviously because to the best of my knowledge Vaseline was not around 4 thousand years ago), although it’s a very effective treatment for bruising as well I have been told. Quite simply, you mix one part cayenne pepper to 5 parts melted Vaseline, let it cool and pop It on once a day.

• Arnica

Great stuff! Get some arnica cream, I have used it for years. It’s very well known, easy to get, cheap and a very powerful healer. Every household should have some.

• Other remedies

Yes, there are many other folk remedies that you can try. I have read using bay leaves soaked in water, cucumbers soaked in water, rubbing eggs onto the bruise, putting apple cider vinegar, buchu tea, comfrey tea, mullein flowers, ginger and chamomile, eating garlic, placing onions on the bruise, and numerous others too numerous to mention here. I would however love to hear from people who have had great results from certain remedies that they have used.

So enjoy you’re your sports and activities but (and this is directly mainly to my sister if she is reading this)…please be careful!