In addition to the treatment of sports injuries, homeopathy can prevent susceptibility to injury in sports, support the psyche and soothe overstressed muscles and joints.
In competitive sports, but also in amateur athletes, injuries can always occur. Depending on the severity of the injury, this can make training impossible for a long time and therefore every athlete strives to support the healing of injuries as best as possible. Homeopathic treatment can speed it up and avoid complications. Homeopathy can also provide support for long-standing injuries.
How can homeopathy help athletes?
Many people overexert their muscles when exercising, which can lead to sore muscles as well as injuries. Homeopathy is a good way to get over sore muscles faster, strengthen tendons and ligaments and support regeneration after top athletic performance.
Health can be stabilized through homeopathic treatment, and disruptive intermediate illnesses are reduced to a minimum. If acute symptoms nevertheless occur, they can often be overcome more quickly with homeopathic treatment and training can be resumed earlier.
When can homeopathy be used in sports?
The accompanying use of homeopathy for athletes is possible and useful for all sports injuries and other complaints related to sports. In cases where no other therapy is necessary for minor injuries, sore muscles or states of exhaustion, homeopathy in sports can accelerate healing and bring you back to well-being more quickly.
In most cases, sports injuries and poor performance require a medical examination. The prescribed medical and physiotherapeutic measures can be supported with the additional administration of a suitable homeopathic medicine or its external application. Should an operation become necessary, the course of treatment can also be supported homeopathically, thus promoting recovery.
The most important homeopathic remedies for athletes
- Arnica (Arnica montana) – Mountain welfare: Arnica is the quintessential wound healer. As an SOS remedy, it can provide first aid for all injuries, blows, strains, wounds and overexertion that are accompanied by pain, inflammation or a feeling of bruising and inability to move. It is used by athletes, especially for fresh muscle injuries with painful bruising and sore muscles. Arnica is also known to mothers for its pain-reducing and haemostatic effect and can alleviate the consequences of falls and minor accidents in children. Another use for Arnica is in surgeries. Here it is used before and after surgery, helping to control pain and reduce bleeding.
- Bryonia alba – Bryonia can be used for any muscle and tendon injury that improves with rest and gets worse with the slightest movement. Typical sports injuries with these symptoms are bruised ribs, acute joint inflammation, lumbago and sore muscles.
- Calendula (Calendula officinalis) – Marigold: Both as a homeopathic medicine and as a mother tincture, calendula can support wound healing. It promotes scarring, reduces wound infections and prevents suppuration. In addition to being used for sport-related fresh or old abrasions and lacerations, Calendula can also be used for torn muscles and tendons.
- Gelsemium (Gelsemium sempervirens) – Yellow Jasmine: Gelsemium is one of the homeopathic medicines that work well for pre-competition stage fright. In addition to physical weakness, stage fright causes a feeling of heaviness, tremors, headaches and diarrhea. However, acute flu infections can also be treated with Gelsemium.
- Hekla lava – volcanic ash: It reduces the formation and development of bone diseases resulting from injuries to bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments. Bony outgrowths and touch-sensitive exostoses such as ganglion and heel spurs can be treated in this way.
- Hypericum – St. John’s Wort: Hypericum is the great remedy for treating nerve injuries. In particular, bruises and lacerations on body parts with many nerves such as toes, nail beds, palms of hands, soles of feet, spine or coccyx can be treated with it. The same applies to injuries that are accompanied by unbearable pain.
- Rhus toxicodendron – Poisonous Oak: Rhus toxicodendron helps with joint and tendon injuries, which improve with movement and when the joints become warm. Especially if the injury resulted from lifting weights or from overexertion. Sprains, strains, overstretching and injuries to ligaments, tendons and muscles can also be treated with poison ivy.
- Ruta graveolens – Rue: Helps with traumatic injuries to the bones and periosteum as well as injuries to ligaments and tendons at the bone attachment points. It can be used for fresh fractures, but also for broken bones with delayed healing.
- Symphytum officinale – Comfrey: Symphytum facilitates the healing of fractures by stimulating callus formation. Very painful blows and abrasions on protruding bones such as cheekbones, elbows, knees or shoulders can also be alleviated in this way. Another possible application is severe pain in the eye after being hit with a blunt object (ball, hand, elbow) if the eye has not otherwise been injured.
Application and dosage
Homeopathy in sports can be used in many ways. According to the rules of classical homeopathy, individual remedies are always used that have been selected according to homeopathic laws. The individual remedies are available in the form of globules, tablets, drops, sprays or ointments. For on the go there are even wet wipes that are mixed with Arnica, for example.
If you want to use a homeopathic single remedy independently for small injuries, you can use repeated low potencies (4X, 6X, 6X, 12X, 12X). If the pain is severe, it can be taken or used for half an hour until the pain is relieved.
If you want to use the homeopathic medicine for psychological problems, serious injuries, susceptibility to infection or to increase performance, it is advisable to seek the help of a homeopath. Higher potencies or several remedies in a row are often necessary to achieve the desired effect. When attempting self-treatment, no homeopathic medicines should be used independently in potencies higher than 30c.
Various homeopathic complex remedies are available, the composition of which is tailored to the needs of athletes or the treatment of sports injuries. Complex remedies are also mainly available as globules, tablets, drops, ointments and solutions. Depending on the manufacturer, different homeopathic medicines are mixed in different potencies, so that a broad spectrum of effects is achieved. These are very well suited for self-treatment and are used according to the package insert.
Uses of Homeopathy for sports injuries
Which medicine is used in homeopathy in sports varies. The following list provides an overview of the various athlete’s complaints that can be treated with homeopathy and which remedies are suitable:
Homeopathy for eye injuries
- Aconitum: for foreign bodies in the eye, before the foreign body is retrieved
- Arnica: Sore eye after being hit or bruised
- Ledum: black eye, bruised eyeball
- Symphytum: when the bones of the orbit hurt
Homeopathy for Ligament and tendon injuries
- Arnica: First measure, always applicable
- Ruta: it gets worse with every effort
- Rhus toxicodendron: worse at rest and on first movement, better from continued movement
- Bryonia: Pain gets worse with every little movement and with heat
Homeopathy for Blister
- Calendula (solution): as a first measure after the blister has burst
- Urtica urens: caused by rubbing the shoe, blister burns and is sensitive to pressure
- Causticum: ruptured blister burns intensely
- Hypericum: very painful
Homeopathy for bleeding injuries and wounds
- Calendula: abrasions, scratches, tears, cuts
- Hypericum: very painful wounds on nerve-rich parts of the body
- Silicea: foreign bodies stuck in wounds are expelled (splinter, small stones)
Homeopathy for Epicondylitis (tennis elbow)
- Arnica: reduces pain and swelling
- Bryonia: worse from slightest movement and heat, better from pressure
- Rhus toxicodendron: worse at rest and on first movement, better with continued movement
- Ruta: main remedy, pain in the tendon at the transition to the periosteum
- Bellis perennis: pain from monotonous physical exertion, worse from cold, damp, wet, joint inflammation
- Aconitum: caused by exposure to cold and cold wind, occurring suddenly
- Apis: joint swollen and tender
- Bryonia: lancinating pains, every slightest movement aggravates
- Causticum: stiffness, tearing and burning pains
- Rhus toxicodendron: Better from heat and continued exercise, worse at rest and on first movement
Homeopathy for underperformance/fatigue
- Arnica: as a result of intense training or competition
- Arsenicum album: Pronounced weakness and lack of strength after excessive training and acute illnesses
- Carbo vegetabilis: after injuries, overexertion, exhausting diseases
- China officinalis: After dehydration and dehydration
- Phosphoricum acidum: after mental overexertion
Homeopathy for Muscle cramp
Arnica: main remedy, one feels bruised
Homeopathy for muscle cramps
Arnica: during physical exertion, calf cramps
Magnesium phosphoricum: in every form of cramps
Homeopathy for Muscle tear/muscle strain
- Arnica: Immediate action
- Bellis perennis: severe, deep-seated pains
- Bryonia: worse from slightest movement and heat
- Rhus toxicodendron: worse at rest and on first movement, better with continued movement
Homeopathy for nosebleeds
- Phosphorus: frequent and profuse nosebleeds
- Arnica: after a blow to the nose
- Ferrum phosphoricum: helps after a punch in the nose or a collision when Arnica is not enough
Homeopathy for Bruises
- Arnica: Immediate measure, always applicable as an SOS remedy
- Bellis perennis: triggered by sudden injuries during movement (fall) or by overexertion and monotonous movement
- Ledum: large, partially blue-black bruises, better from cold applications
- Sulfuricum acidum: Bruises that won’t go away
- Hypericum: very painful, especially on nerve-rich parts of the body (fingertips, toes, head, spine, tailbone)
- Ruta graveolens: Strikes on bones with injured periosteum (e.g. kick on the shin)
- Symphytum: especially with injuries to protruding body parts such as cheekbones, elbows, knees, shoulders)
Homeopathy for Back pain/lumbago
- Arnica: after a blow, injury, falling
- Rhus toxicodendron: after being overlifted, worse at rest, must constantly change position
- Hypericum: especially in coccyx bruises, stabbing pains
- Bryonia: painful stiffness, shooting pains on slightest movement, very sensitive to touch
- Causticum: by lifting
- Chamomilla: excruciating pain, extremely sensitive to pain
- Lachesis: Sciatica with tearing pains
- Calcium carbonicum: lumbago caused by little physical exertion
Homeopathy for fall on the face
- Arnica: as a first measure
- Symphytum: for bruises, abrasions and bruises on the face, for bruised cheekbones
Homeopathy for chafed skin
- Graphites: for example between the thighs, cracked, burns, wets
- Sulphur: sore skin is very red, burns and stings
Homeopathy for Strain/sprain/dislocation
- Arnica: first measure
- Bellis perennis: severe pain, especially in people with very tight muscles
- Bryonia: Pains worse on slightest movement and on warm applications
- Rhus toxicodendron: after exertion, worse at rest and on first movement, better from continued movement
- Ruta: especially for tendon injuries, which are particularly painful at rest
- Ledum: especially with ankle injuries, which occur again and again
- Symphytum: when the bone is involved
