When dealing with a muscle or tendon injury, it's important to give your body the support it needs to heal properly, and get you out of pain as quickly as possible. With a combination of Chinese medicine and good self-care, we can speed up your recovery and help prevent long-term issues.
Here’s how:
Evil Bone Water: Your Go-To for Quick Pain Relief and Healing
One of the best ways to treat injuries is by using the topical Evil Bone Water. This powerful herbal formula, based on the ancient Zheng Gu Shui used by Kung Fu fighters, is designed to relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and help your body recover faster.
Keep it in your first aid cabinet: Evil Bone Water is great to have on hand for immediate use when injuries happen. For some minor injuries, this alone may be enough to support full recovery.
How to use it: Apply it to the injured area several times a day—there's no real limit! For more serious injuries, you can apply it up to 10 times daily. Rub it in, let it dry, and then reapply for even stronger effects.
Poultice method: You can also soak a napkin or paper towel with Evil Bone Water and use it as a poultice in the immediate hours after an injury. Keep rewetting the napkin or paper towel as it dries (and absorbs into the skin) for continued effect. This is particularly helpful in the first hours or days of an injury.The herbs in this formula are incredibly effective at reducing pain, bruising, and swelling, all while speeding up the healing process.
Acupuncture for Faster Healing of Your Injury
Acupuncture is an excellent tool to aid in injury recovery, and the earlier you start, the better. It improves circulation, reduces pain and inflammation, and helps your body heal efficiently.
The number of acupuncture sessions you’ll need depends on several factors:
How soon you start treatment: The sooner, the better. If you come in soon after the injury, your recovery will likely be quicker. If you wait months, it may take longer to see results.Frequent treatments help: For injuries and pain, having acupuncture treatments closer together (2-3 times a week) can help speed up your recovery. The frequency of treatments makes a big difference in how quickly your body responds.
Severity of the injury: The more severe the injury, the longer the treatment plan may be.
General health, underlying conditions, and age: All these contribute to how fast your body heals. Early treatment and good self-care will help get you back on your feet faster.
Herbal Therapy: The Inside-Outside Approach
Taking herbs internally is another great way to speed up your recovery. When you take herbs in tea or capsule form, you give your body the tools it needs to heal from the inside. Combined with topically applied herbs like Evil Bone Water, this creates a “one-two punch” for your injury. By using both, along with acupuncture, you’ll notice quicker relief and recovery.
Minimize Ice Use
While ice may numb the pain, it doesn't promote healing. In Chinese medicine, we use herbs with a cooling nature to reduce inflammation, just like ice, but without freezing the injury in place. (You know how mint is cool in your mouth, but cinnamon feels warm in your stomach? Herbs have warm and cool properties that Chinese Medical Theory has analyzed for all its medicinal substances, and uses this concept as an integral part of its complex herbal theories.)
Here are some alternative ideas:
Evil Bone Water contains cooling herbs to help reduce inflammation while also promoting healing. Repeated applications or using it as a poultice (like ice) work well for pain relief.
If you feel the need for ice, use it minimally, and follow up with warmth to promote circulation. In some cases, ice may help temporarily, particularly if you don’t have Evil Bone Water or San Huang San (another cooling herbal option) on hand.
However, repeated use of Evil Bone Water—especially as a poultice—will generally be enough to accomplish what ice would do, while also helping the injury heal faster.
Rest and Listen to Your Body
Pain is your body’s way of telling you to rest. It’s important to rest or immobilize the injured area as much as possible and avoid pushing through pain. Pushing yourself too soon can delay healing or make things worse. Gradually return to activity of the injured area once the pain subsides and you feel stronger—your body will let you know when it’s ready.
Eat Well to Heal Well
Good nutrition is essential for healing. In Chinese medicine, we focus on foods that support digestion and promote faster recovery. Here’s how to make your diet work for you:
Choose easy-to-digest foods: Opt for soups, stews, and warm, cooked meals. Warm foods are gentler on your digestion compared to cold or raw foods like salads.
Avoid cold foods and beverages: Cold drinks, iced beverages, and raw foods can "cool" your digestive fire, slowing down digestion and absorption of nutrients.
Eat in moderation: Don’t overload your stomach. Smaller, balanced meals allow for more efficient digestion, giving your body the energy it needs to focus on healing.
Avoid greasy and processed foods: These are harder to digest and can slow down your recovery. Meat is okay in small amounts, but avoid large amounts of meat at any one meal.
Chew your food well: This helps initiate digestion and ensures your body absorbs nutrients more effectively. This is particularly important for breads, as saliva is an important part of the digestive process for them. It is also important for raw vegetables or seeds, as well broken up food is much easier to digest on the stomach.
Stay warm internally: Warm meals and beverages help support your digestive system, allowing your body to focus on healing rather than struggling to digest food.
Dr. Kim Drolet, DACM, LAc
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