Just like in the Karate Kid many martial artists have used acupuncture, cupping, and herbal therapy to recover from injuries and fight most optimally. One of my teachers belonged to a fighting club in the 70s and they would decoct special topical herbal liniments to use in between fights to heal faster in addition to acupuncture. These very same recipes are used in our office to treat a wide variety of aliments from broken bones, swellings, arthritis, bruises, acute and chronic injuries. The most amazing story I've seen with the liniments are as follows.
A patient came in for a massage several years ago and had a 3rd degree ankle sprain. She had fallen off the train coming home from work one day and her ankle was swollen three times the size as her other ankle and was dark purple. I soaked her ankle in a liniment and did very light massage around the area. Within two days her bruises were just faint remnants and slightly yellow; she could walk without any pain.
A liniment is similar to a raw herbal formula. Instead of cooking as a tea and drinking the herbs they are slow cooked and mixed with alcohol and must sit for several months before they can be used. The longer the herbs soak like this the more potent they become. We encourage people to soak what ails them for as long as they can and to sleep with the liniment on if its possible.
I once sprained my wrist and wrapped a liniment around it. Around about 30 minutes it felt like the pain in my wrist was being drawn out and felt warm and tingly.
Sarah Zender LAc
Whole Health Acupuncture 50 Turner Ave Elk Grove Village IL 847.357.3929
www.wholehealthprograms.com
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