Love it or hate it, Olympic fever has hit Vancouver—Canada—and the globe. As I’ve been watching, I wonder what the athletes are taking for their pain and injuries as I see hockey players slam into the boards, figure skaters miss their footing and land hard on the ice, and skiers lose their balance to fly full speed down the mountain on their bodies instead of their skies. Ouch!

Many well known athletes already know about homeopathy. Soccer star David Beckham, along with tennis greats Martina Navratilova and Boris Becker use homeopathy for their injuries because it’s fast and effective as well as drug free with no side effects.

Arnica is by far the most common and successfully used remedy for sports injuries. It’s easy to use and should be considered first to ease the aching, tenderness and inflammation of any injury. Arnica also helps the body recover from the shock of an injury. There are countless stories about the successes of this remedy, especially for severe injuries (however, always be sure to check into emergency when injuries are really serious!). Besides swiftly healing dark bruises, bad sprains and bumps to the head, Arnica is excellent for that tender exhaustion that comes from pushing your body a little too far.

One word of warning: it works great, but don’t use it all the time. Homeopathic remedies are medicines to be used only when needed. For those smaller bumps and bruises, use the cream instead.

Hypericum is Arnica of the nerves, so it heals crushed, pierced or torn fingertips, toes and nails. This remedy will also heal and reduce the pain of tailbone injuries, common from slipping backwards on the ice. Whenever pain is severe due to a lot of nerve endings in the area, take Hypericum.

Ruta: an excellent remedy for shin injuries because it heals kicks and bruises to the periosteum, which is the outer lining of the bone. It is also useful for repetitive strain injuries, such as tennis elbow, but try it in a low potency 6c repeated daily for about 3 weeks.

For broken bones though, use Arnica first to help the initial pain and inflammation and follow up with Symphytum in low potency, such as a 6c taken daily for about 3 weeks. Symphytum is known as “bone set” because it helps the bone knit together and heal properly.

Bryonia is the remedy for broken ribs because it is most useful for those  injuries when the pain is worse with the slightest motion. This makes it ideal for the pain and healing of broken ribs, but also sprains that are excruciating. Use it after a dose of two of Arnica.

Rhus tox is the other remedy to consider for sprains. It is often necessary after Arnica when the symptoms fit. Give Rhus tox if the sprain seems stiff and painful during or after rest—typically in the morning or at night. If the pain causes restlessness, especially in the evening and at night and seems better during the day while moving about, then Rhus tox will ease it.

Finally, Calendula is a fantastic topical remedy for cuts and scrapes. Use Calendula cream or tincture (10 drops to ½ cup of water) instead of Arnica when it’s not a bruise, but a cut. Calendula has remarkable healing properties on the skin, preventing infection and scarring. Although you can find this remedy in homeopathic form, it usually is enough and works wonders as a cream or tincture.

Dosage: In homeopathy, always let the symptoms guide you to the correct remedy and the correct dosage. Choose the most suitable remedy in a 30c potency (strength), 2-5 pills on the tongue 2-3 times daily, unless otherwise recommended. Stop as symptoms improve or within a few days.

Now you have a small group of remedies on hand for sports injuries, great for kids and adults alike. You can often buy them together as a first aid kit or buy them one at a time, as you need them. Remember that homeopathic remedies work well and do not interfere with conventional treatment.

Homeopathy Trio

The cold, wet factor is back in Vancouver with a vengeance and along with it comes colds, coughs and croup. As a parent, I’m grateful for the quick relief remedies often provide and I’ve converted many a parent on homeopathy’s benefits for croup alone!

What is Croup anyway?

One of the most frightening respiratory infections for parents and children alike, croup causes an unusual barking cough and wheezing due to an inflammation and swelling of the vocal chords. Because it typically develops during sleep, the child wakes up coughing and struggling to breathe at night, much to the shock of a parent. If this happens to you, remember to stay calm and reassure your child before all else.

If you don’t have remedies on hand, you may have heard of these tricks: turn on a hot shower and allow your child to breathe the steam in the bathroom; or take your bundle out into the cold night air. While these may help in the moment, be sure to try out the remedies below anyway. Not only do they put an end to the attack within minutes, but also they also help prevent attacks recurring the next night and the night after that, a common problem.

Remedy Trio:

In the world of homeopathy and croup, you need only remember 3 remedies in the emergency for lasting results: Aconite, Spongia and Hepar sulph.

Aconite is your first choice. Aconite works for those attacks that appear out of the blue with little or no forewarning. Typically the croup comes on before midnight and is scary enough to frighten both the child and the parent! Many children won’t need any additional remedies after a dose or two of Aconite.

Spongia is for that dry barking cough, which sounds almost like a saw going through wood or a dry seal’s bark. It is the second remedy to be given after Aconite or use it first if there was already a dry cough developing. Spongia is your second choice if Aconite does not seem to be working or holding.

Hepar sulph is the opposite of Spongia: loose and rattling! Give it as your third choice, for instance if the cough is loosening up, which can typically occur towards morning. Hepar sulph is a great cough remedy which is useful later, not usually the first day.

Since the 30c potency is most popular, I would recommend giving 3-5 pills in the moment, repeating every 15 minutes if necessary or every time the child awakens up to 3-4 times that night. In homeopathy, less is better, so stop as symptoms improve.

Some children have a susceptibility to croup, meaning that each time the toddler gets a cold,  he or she develops croup. If this is often, constitutional remedies will help your child, but require the expert advice of a homeopath. For more information on homeopathy and constitutional treatment, check out the Treatment FAQ page under Homeopathy on my website at www.vancouverhomeopath.com.

Finally, for those who would like to buy a good book on homeopathy for remedies at home, there are many on the market. My personal favorites are by Panos and Heimlich: Homeopathic Medicine at Home for its charts and stories.  If you’re looking for something on just kids, I also like the book Homeopathy for Children by Feldman and Pinto for it’s practical, easy to use style.