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Injury

The more quickly we tend to an injury, the better we heal and the less likely we are to have chronic pain, local or systemic infection, or need medical intervention. The world of natural healing has a long history of using herbs to help us respond, repair, recover and get back on track. This presentation covers the most common issues we experience and how to use natural tools which are easily kept in our homes and can save us time, money and misery.

Why Use Herbal Remedies Instead of Western Meds

Over the counter medications and other western anti-inflammatories relieve pain quickly, BUT they come with a great number of side effects. They shut down the healing process, overburden the liver, kidneys and lymph system, and irritate and slow down the stomach and intestines.

Herbal repair herbs stimulate the tissues to repair themselves; there is no western medical equivalent. They reduce inflammation, allow nutrition to get to injured areas help your body naturally to eliminate waste products as they repair tissues.

The Basics - Tools & Herbs

  • Cayenne - in powder, oil, or tincture form, cayenne is a powerful tool to stop bleeding.

  • Arnica tincture/cream/oil/homeopathic remedy- use arnica in tincture and homeopathic forms to manage pain and inflammation. Unmanaged pain and excessive inflammation keep you from resting and healing.

  • Castor oil (cold pressed)- breaks up and clears out waste products (dead skin, scar tissue, and cysts/retained fluids).

  • Contrast therapy means alternating hot packs and cold packs. You can also just use one or the other. A good rule of thumb is to use heat for stiffness and cold for sharp and hot pain. Contrast therapy is good for any closed injury.

  • Therapeutic baths - Add a handful of baking soda and a handful of sea salt to a bath and soak. Baking soda and sea salt is the best combination to remove waste products and balance all your electrolytes. Lots of people use epsom salts, which only balances your magnesium levels and leave the skin dry and susceptible to infection.

The Basics - Injury Types

New, open wounds

  • Cuts

  • Gashes

  • Scrapes

Old injuries (closed) & arthritis

  • Sciatica

  • Arthritis

  • Stenosis

  • Scar tissue

  • Keloids and Cysts

  • Cuts

  • Gashes

  • Scrapes

New, closed wounds

  • Bruises

  • Blows

  • Swelling

New, closed wounds

  • Bruises

  • Blows

  • Swelling

New Open Wounds

First Aid

If there is profuse bleeding and clear signs of broken or torn tissues, there is no substitute for medical attention: the urgent care or emergency room is your best choice.

 

That said, the ABCs of first aid are always appropriate until medical attention can be accessed

  • Airway: make sure airways are clear so breathing is possible

  • Breath: Make sure they are breathing and if they are not, apply CPR; If breathing and alert, help them to calm and slow their breathing: Rescue Remedy is an excellent tool when there is a crisis of this nature.

  • Circulation: if there is profuse bleeding, the natural tools for bleeding are excellent stopping bleeding, normalizing blood flow, and stabilizing blood pressure: Cayenne as a tincture, under the tongue, and/or directly on the wounds followed by a clean cloth with pressure over it SAVES LIVES.

What to do if you can't get to a hospital

If you do not have access to medical care and you think there may be a broken bone, a severed artery, there’s impaled object in the body, etc. 

  • Manage shock and bleeding as before

  • Stabilize impaled objects, possible broken bones or torn tissues

  • Apply arnica and/or cayenne on closed skin

  • Pack with ice - especially head injuries

  • Apply pressure with an elastic bandage and/or tape to keep bleeding at a minimum then transport if possible

  • If transport is not possible, continue to manage bleeding, shock and pain and when all three are stable enough to remove an object and realign bones and joints with traction you repeat the process of managing bleeding, shock, pain and treating it either as a closed or open wound.  

  • A deep gash or open wound responds well to plasters of the combination of wheat germ oil, honey and comfrey root powder. . . .  (insert the information in the email here)

  • It is essential to take herbs for infection by mouth every 3-4 hours until the wound is closed and all signs of infection are gone--5-10 days is the generally timetable

Nighttime

  • Take homeopathic arnica for pain and to prevent excessive inflammation

  • Take Rescue Remedy for shock/fear/distress if necessary. Take a few deep breaths to calm yourself.

  • Administer by mouth and/or apply cayenne  to stop bleeding and put a clean cloth over the bleed and apply pressure until the bleeding stops

  • Clean the wound: Once the bleeding has slowed and the bandage can be removed, clean the wound with running water and soap to remove dirt/debris; 

  • Disinfect: using MGS+ (antibiotic) as a tincture, oil or powder. 

  • Apply Repair herbs or salve over the disinfectant herbs

  • Cover wound well with a clean (sterile if possible) bandage. Choose a bandage based on the injury, keeping in mind that the edges of a wound must touch each other to knit back together; if the cut is gaping and would benefit from stitches, but you don’t have access to a medical facility you should use butterfly bandages to bring the edges of the wound together..

  • If there is a high possibility of infection spreading because of the depth of the cut or the location, it is a good idea to take an herbal antibiotic formula (myrrh/goldenseal/cayenne) four times a day until you’re sure there’s no infection developing

  • Clean the wound 2x/day (or more often if it gets wet or dirty) with Cayenne Plus Oil (a MGS+ based oil) or use the MGS+ tincture to disinfect and then rub a small amount of salve/ointment over the area. Olive or cooking oil is a good alternative if you don't have access to a salve. Let the wound air out after cleaning it. If it is still bleeding, tender, or weeping apply the bandage as before. When the injury is closed and won’t reopen or start bleeding again without a bandage, 

  • Leave the bandage off while you are at rest and the area won’t get dirty. If you plan to do any activities that can break the skin again or introduce infection, apply repair herbs and/or cover it during that activity.

  • When healing is working, itching starts, so just apply Repair Salve as needed to keep the area from drying out and breaking open.

  • Rinse with clear Water

  • Floss

  • Brush

  • Oil Pull if desired

  • Rinse with clear water

Care fo Infected or Injured Teeth

Care for Infected or Injured Teeth

Daytime

  • Clean teeth and mouth: Swish with clean water to clear debris from your teeth after eating anything. Gently brush your teeth, floss, flush your sinuses with a Neti Pot, Oil Pull, and/or swish with Herbal Mouthwash. What you can do will depend on your level of infection, pain, inflammation and ongoing dental treatments.

  • Apply Cayenne Plus Oil on affected areas of the teeth and gums using a cotton swab. If you have pain and/or signs of infection on the face, jaw and neck, wash the area with gentle soap and water and apply the oil there as well.

  • Apply clove essential oil (using a cotton swab) to any painful areas in the mouth, face, jaw, and neck for a temporary numbing effect. Use this oil sparingly, as it is very strong.

  • Pack a bit of white oak bark over bleeding/swollen gums or around loose teeth and use a temporary filling to protect a cavity. You can find temporary filling kits at most drugtores.

Nighttime

This is your most important time to care for your teeth and gums! The proper order is really important for getting the most out of your efforts!

  • Rinse with clear water

  • Floss (use a water flosser if you have dental treatments which cannot be cleaned with regular dental floss).

  • Brush using a soft bristled toothbrush with gentle pressure for 2 minutes

  • Neti pot/nasal irrigation: See Neti Potabove. Add 3-5 drops of Myrrh/Goldenseal Plus Tincture to the normal saline solution

  • Oil pull: see "Oil Pulling" above. Add 3-5 drops of Myrrh/Goldenseal Plus tincture to the oil.

  • Rinse with mouthwash. We recommend gargling with a nourishing and/or healing mouthwash

  • Apply Cayenne Plus Oil and/or clove essential oil using a cotton swab

  • Pack gums and cavities: Pack a bit of white oak bark powder over bleeding/swollen gums or around loose teeth and use a temporary filling to protect a cavity.

Specific Recommendations for Common Dental Issues

Abcess/​festering infection

See “Care for Infected or Injured Teeth” above. Repeat the cleansing and healing routine after all snacks and meals (or at least twice daily) until pus and/or infection have cleared.

Bleeding Gums & Gum Infection

See “Care for Infected or Injured Teeth” above. Make a strong tea of oak bark and drink it throughout the day, swishing thoroughly each time. This will tighten up the gums and firm up the teeth.

Bad Breath/Halitosis

See “Care for Infected or Injured Teeth” above. Take the Myrrh/Goldenseal Plus tincture with all meals. Oil Pull, then gargle with the Herbal Mouthwash at bedtime. Work on healing the digestive system, as this is generally the source of chronic halitosis.

Cavities & Lost Fillings

See “Care for Infected or Injured Teeth” above. It is essential to clean the area where there is a cavity: brush, floss and gargle with Herbal Mouthwash. Use a cotton swab to apply Cayenne Plus Oil and clove essential oil on the tooth. Apply a temporary filling (see “Temporary Fillings” above) until you can get to a dentist. In an emergency, a small piece of a cotton ball soaked with Cayenne Plus Oil and a drop of clove oil can be gently pushed into the open cavity to prevent further spread of infection and relieve pain.

Cracked Tooth

See “Care for Infected or Injured Teeth” routine above until you can see a dentist. Work on your digestion and diet to increase the mineral nutrition needed for healthy teeth and bones. Make a strong tea of oak bark and drink it throughout the day, swishing gently and thoroughly each time. 

Ear Infection Causing Tooth Pain

Place a moist washcloth and a heat pack over the ear and neck. Apply Cayenne Plus Oil to the neck and jaw to aid with infection. Oil pull in order to  open up the eustachian tubes (tubes which drain the ears into the back of the throat); adding 3 drops of the Myrrh/Goldenseal Plus Tincture to the oil will aid in fighting bacteria when there are signs of infection. Place 2-3 drops of warm olive oil OR garlic/mullein oil in the ears and cover with a piece of a cotton ball overnight.

Loose Teeth Due to an Injury or Blow

Using a cotton swab, apply Cayenne Plus Oil inside the mouth to stop any bleeding. Apply the oil on the skin outside of the mouth using a cotton ball. Apply an ice pack over the oil until throbbing and bleeding stops, repeating the application of the oil and ice pack every 10-20 minutes until results are achieved. Gently realign and guide teeth into place. Swab the area generously with cayenne plus oil and clove oil. Make a strong tea of oak bark and drink it throughout the day, swishing gently and thoroughly each time. Liquefy your foods and don’t chew with any force with the injured teeth until you can get to a dentist. For pain we also recommend taking homeopathic symphytum, arnica, and hypericum as well as applying an ice pack, arnica and clove oil on the face over the injured area.

Loose Teeth Due to Weak Gums

See “Care for Infected or Injured Teeth” above. Oil Pulling with a few drops of Myrrh/Goldenseal Plus Tincture added to the oil and gargling with the Herbal Mouthwash are highly effective for this issue. Make a strong tea of white oak bark and drink it throughout the day, swishing thoroughly each time. This will tighten up the gums and firm up the teeth. You can find white oak bark powder at most health food stores and in our Dental Kit.

Sinus Infection Causing Tooth Pain

See “Care for Infected or Injured Teeth” above, paying special attention to oil pulling and Neti Pot treatments in the morning and night. Add 3 drops of the Myrrh/Goldenseal Plus Tincture to the Neti Pot to aid in fighting bacteria when there are signs of infection. Apply the Cayenne Plus Oil externally on the jaw and neck, as well as inside the nose. Apply aromatic essential oils (eucalyptus, peppermint, rosemary, helichrysum, etc) and take a hot steamy shower. We also recommend using our Nose Calming Salve for extra relief.

Teething in Babies

Apply clove oil to gums using a cotton swab. Give the baby a teething ring OR wet and freeze a washcloth and give it to the baby to chew on.

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