First Aid Homeopathy At The Cottage
When I first came to homeopathic medicine about 15 years ago, my only motivation was to serve my own family during simple first aid situations, as well as minor coughs, colds, and ear aches. I figured I could allow the Doctors to get on with more important cases if I could effectively deal with minor cuts, scrapes and fevers at home. While I began my homeopathic adventure with the Tylenol in one hand and the homeopathic remedy in the other, I soon found myself in awe of this curative medicine based on 200 year-old principles. I loved the speed with which a cut healed, a detached retina re-attached (that one was also under an Allopathic Physician’s care), multiple fevers broken and tummy aches addressed safely and easily.
Since then, I’ve amassed many tales of homeopathic cures that even took me to a children’s camp in the wilds of Quebec (ok it was only 30 minutes from a hospital). As the Medic for Camp Ten Oaks, I treated a young girl for chronic headaches that cleared up overnight with out re-incidence with Bryonia (headaches over the eyes). I treated another young boy for a bee sting with Apis (bee venom) , Ledum (puncture wound) and Silicea (to push the stinger out) that was difficult to locate the next day. I also had a teenager flare the most amazing high fever that reacted very well to Belladonna (quick onset, lots of redness, worse right sided). The latter patient slept easy in my MASH unit that night so that I could triage her symptoms, but she and I both slept through the night. She got up the next morning out of very wet bed-sheets and went on her way, fever-less, to join her cabin for breakfast.
Some of you may be heading to your own cottage, or camp, this summer and you can pack some of the same homeopathic remedies as I did in order to easily and simply apply the law of cure, “Like Cures Like,” in order to address your own first aid issues. You may be as surprised as I was at their effective, curative action, without causing an ounce of harm. Thankfully they are just as safe to administer to a 1 day old babe as they are to your 100 year-old Grandmother! You can swing by most health-food stores or some more holistic pharmacies to source your homeopathic remedies for your home, camping trips, or weekly forays to the Cottage. To order more extensive homeopathic kits, you can follow the link from our website to order yours and some reference materials to get you started:
In conjunction with a good course in First Aid and CPR, here are a list of the 10 most common conditions and the must-have homeopathic remedies for you to stock your first aid kit with. Remember that these do not replace emergency medical care at your local hospital, or generally resolve chronic constant diseases treated by your health care Practitioner, but they can allow you to easily and successfully resolve cuts, scrapes, bug bites and bruises at a minimum.
Successful homeopathic treatment is best provided by a skilled Physician, however, a selection of remedies work for a variety of common ailments which are suitable for personal use. Homeopathic first aid remedies are most often dispensed in strengths (dilutions) of 6C, 9C, 12C and 30C, with 6C for acute or sudden onset conditions and 30C for slightly longer term, generalized conditions.
The following is a brief list of some of the most common first aid conditions and the corresponding homeopathic remedies you can choose from for your personal or family’s first aid kit.
Cuts, Scrapes and Bruises | Key Symptoms | Remedy & Dosage |
To avoid infection from open wounds:
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Moderate to severe bruising. | Arnica Montana Take 30C every 2 hours orally, up to 6 doses, then 3 doses a day for 3 days. (Never use Arnica on an open wound as it will aggravate it). |
Wound feels cold and numb. Soothing feeling with cold compress. | Ledum Palustre Take 6C every 2 hours, up to 6 doses, then 3 doses a day for 3 days. |
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Wounds with shooting nerve pain. | Hypericum Perforatum Take 30C every 2 hours for up to 3 days. |
Minor Burns & Scalding | Key Symptoms | Remedy & Dosage |
Avoid touching burnt or scalded area as much as possible.
Caution: If a burn surface is larger that 3-4 inches in diameter, see a healthcare professional immediately. |
Blistering burn or scalding. Searing pain. Applying a cold compress provides soothing relief. | Arnica Montana Take 30C every 15 minutes, up to 3 doses, followed by:Cantharis Take 30C every 15 minutes, up to 6 doses. |
Continuous stinging and burning pain. | Urtica Urens Take 30C every 15 minutes, up to 10 doses. |
Insect Bites & Stings | Key Symptoms | Remedy & Dosage |
Insect bite and sting pain, swelling and at times infection.
Caution: If sting is inside the mouth, nose, ear, or if it’s in or around the eyes, rinse with cold water to reduce swelling and see a healthcare professional immediately. |
Stung area is swollen, bruised and painful. | Arnica Montana Take 30C every 5 minutes, up to 10 doses, followed by:Ledum Palustre Take 6C every 8 hours, up to 3 days. |
Stung area is red, feels hot and swollen. | Apis Mellifica Take 30C every 15 minutes, up to 6 doses. |
Nosebleeds | Key Symptoms | Remedy & Dosage |
Nosebleeds due to injury or after blowing the nose violently.
Caution: If bleeding persists, see a healthcare professional. |
Nosebleed after an injury. | Arnica Montana Take 6C every 2 minutes, up to 10 doses. |
Nosebleed brought on by blowing the nose violently. | Phosphorus Take 6C every 2 minutes, up to 10 doses. |
Heat Exhaustion | Key Symptoms | Remedy & Dosage |
Heat exhaustion is caused by excessive fluid loss in hot weather.
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Nausea, severe headache aggravated by movement. | Bryonia Alba Take 30C every 5 minutes, up to 10 doses. |
Throbbing, splitting headache, hot face, sweaty skin. | Glonoinum Take 30C every 5 minutes, up to 10 doses. |
Motion Sickness | Key Symptoms | Remedy & Dosage |
Caused by travel in car, boat, train, plane etc. Children are especially vulnerable.Homeopathic remedies can be taken up to one hour prior to journey to prevent motion sickness. | Nausea, dizziness and faintness, chills, sweating, worsens near tobacco smoke. | Tabacum Take 6C every 15 minutes, up to 10 doses. |
Queasiness, chills, headache at back of head or over one eye, worse from food, tobacco smoke and coffee. | Nux Vomica Take 6C every 15 minutes, up to 10 doses. |
Splinters | Key Symptoms | Remedy & Dosage |
To reduce chance of infection and tetanus, bathe the area with Ledum mother tincture.
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Stinging burning pain. Applying a warm compress may draw splinter closer to the surface. |
Silicea Take 12C, 4 times a day, up to 14 days. |
Blisters | Key Symptoms | Remedy & Dosage |
Bubbles of fluid under the skin caused by friction or burning.
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Itching, burning blisters. A cold compress provides soothing relief. | Cantharis Take 12C, 4 times a day until pain subsides. |
Red, swollen and itchy blisters. | Rhus Toxicodendron Take 12C, 4 times a day until pain subsides. |
Eye Injuries | Key Symptoms | Remedy & Dosage |
The eye is delicate and easily damaged by pressure, injury and foreign objects.
Caution: All eye injuries should be examined by a healthcare professional. If eye has been penetrated or chemically contaminated, call an ambulance or other emergency care provider. Use a “donut” bandage to protect the eye while moving patient. |
Black eye or bruising around the eye after injury. | Arnica Montana Take 6C every 2 hours, up to 4 doses. |
Black eye. Persistent pain that is soothed by applying a cold compress. | Ledum Palustre Take 6C every 2 hours, up to 10 doses. |
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Injuries to the eye or the eye orbit, including broken cheek bones | Euphrasia and Symphytum Take 6C every 2 hours, up to 10 doses. |
Sprains & Strains | Key Symptoms | Remedy & Dosage |
Sprains caused by over-stretching of ligaments may be helped by binding with tensor bandage for support. Injuries can range from mild to severe which can also affect the muscle and skeletal systems. Symptoms include swelling, stiffness and pain whenever joint or muscle is used.
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Pulled tendons and ligaments accompanied by pain and stiffness. | Arnica Montana Take 30C every 30 minutes, up to 10 doses, followed by:Ruta Graveolens Take 12C, 4 times a day until pain and stiffness subsides. |
Torn muscle, hot swollen joints, pain is worse at the onset of movement and wears off with continued movement. | Arnica Montana Take 30C every 30 minutes, up to 10 doses, followed by:Rhus Toxicodendron Take 12C, 4 times a day until pain and stiffness subsides. |
If you would like us to teach a class on homeopathic first aid prescribing, contact us at www.arcanum.ca and we can arrange to do it in person or remotely by teleconferencing technologies.
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