One of my favorite patient information topics…
A well stocked first aid kit is a smart thing to have. The Chinese patent pharmacy is SO full of remedy possibilities: oils, liniments, lotions, creams, patches. You can take excellent care of yourself and your family with a few good choices and some basic knowledge of trauma prevention and care.
To begin. These trauma formulas have been around for many many many years. Your choice starts with basic comfort/feel-better muscle rubs and progress to deeply penetrating and target-specific applications.
Liniments are alcohol-based with herbs soaked for long periods of time to bring the liquid to potency. Oils are similarly prepared. The difference between them is that liniments absorb more quickly than oils and generally they penetrate the skin’s surface more easily. Liniments and oils should be rubbed very lightly in a circular motion into the affected area. (To achieve best results and whenever possible keep the spot moist with liniment as you rub for 20- 30 minutes.)
The often-used muscle rubs are generally oil based and contain a good deal of menthol and camphor. Use them for over-worked, exhausted muscles, after-workout soreness and pain and even for PRE-WORKOUT WARMING OF MUSCLES (check out POSUMON OIL and TIGER BALM for this!)
For tissue damage from trauma, strains, tears, contusions and bruises use one of the classic martial arts formulas. DRAGON’S BLOOD LINIMENT from Blue Poppy for swelling and pain when there is no
redness or heat or SHAOLIN DEE DAT JOW also from Blue Poppy for acute injury with redness and swelling.) Classic Die Da (‘falling down from traumatic injury’) formulas are very good at tissue repair, healing burns, stopping bleeding, reducing pain and swelling as well as long term wound care (DIE DA WAN HUA OIL can also be applied to an open wound and makes this one ESPECIALLY great).
Formulas with warming herbs are for injuries or chronic, aching joints and for arthritis where the application of heat feels good (try GREEN WILLOW.) Warming formulas help old injuries that have been over-iced or the ones you have kept ‘under control’ using OTC pain medication.
Red, hot and painful joints caused by swelling, rheumatoid arthritis, gout or chronic injury benefit from formulas that contain cooling herbs (THREE ANGELS LINIMENT and WOODLOCK OIL which has a high percentage of pain relieving herbs.)
I plan to follow this introduction with details and explanations of formulas you can find (and fill your first aid kit with) in my own pharmacy at ALC.