Natural Health: How can I speed up healing to soft tissue damage?

Plus: natural ways of dealing with that unpeaceful, queasy feeling

"I tripped and fell six weeks ago, and my left ankle is still a little swollen. A scan showed soft tissue damage. My physiotherapist advised me to be patient. Is there anything I can do to speed up the healing process?"

I tripped while playing with my grandson six weeks ago, and my left ankle is still a little swollen. A scan showed soft tissue damage.

My physiotherapist advised me to be patient. Is there anything I can do to speed up the healing process?

I completely understand your frustration with your ankle still being swollen and troublesome after six weeks. It is good to have a scan confirming that the damage is to the soft tissue rather than the bone, so that you know that there isn’t any underlying fracture.

Your physiotherapist is quite right, in that you will need to be patient, however there are several natural therapies that may help to speed up the healing process and reduce lingering inflammation.

Arnica is a popular herbal remedy used to treat bruising, swelling, and pain with soft tissue injuries. Topically this is applied as a balm, gel, or cream, although you can take the homoeopathic form of Arnica montana internally along with Bellis perennis for lingering deep tissue trauma.

Bromelain is another great natural remedy for treating pain and inflammation. Derived from pineapple stalks, Bromelain reduces inflammation by breaking down fibrin, the substance responsible for localised swelling. You will need to take three 250mg tablets between meals, three times daily.

Certain nutrients will definitely aid the healing process. Vitamin C is crucial for collagen production, which is important in the repair of soft tissue damage. You can take this as a supplement, but there are a number of foods rich in vitamin C you can add into your diet such as kiwifruit, citrus fruits, red capsicum, and leafy greens.

Zinc is another important nutrient for tissue regeneration and immune function. You can supplement with this nutrient, or boost dietary sources — nuts, seeds, seafood, red meat, and legumes.

A nightly Epsom salt soak will support your physiotherapy and provide soothing relief. Add a whole cup of Epsom salts to a footbath or basin of warm water and soak your feet for 15-20 minutes.

Contrast hydrotherapy is another treatment that may help with fluid retention and inflammation. This simply involves alternating hot and cold compresses on the injured area, and can also help to stimulate circulation. Try three minutes of warm compress and one minute of cold, and repeat this cycle four to five times if you can manage it. It is important that you apply any natural treatments that you choose on a consistent basis.

I often feel queasy after eating breakfast, usually porridge, toast, and tea. Would you recommend taking a digestive enzyme?

Feeling queasy after breakfast may be a sign your digestive system is having trouble processing certain foods, or even coping with the morning meal altogether. There are some cases where digestive enzymes help, but there are some other strategies to try out first.

Porridge, toast, and tea for breakfast may be a little heavy in carbohydrates and low in both protein and fat, which can trigger blood sugar fluctuations or sluggish digestion. You could try switching up by adding a little protein to your morning meal in the form of a boiled egg, a spoonful of almond butter, or add some whey protein to your oatmeal (if you tolerate whey).

Protein in the morning can help stabilise both digestion and energy levels. For some people, grains containing gluten can be the underlying cause of morning queasiness, especially if they have a sensitivity to gluten.

While oats don’t contain gluten as such (although they are at risk for contamination from other grains), they do contain the protein gliadin, which is linked with the autoimmune destruction of intestinal villi. Other excellent gluten and gliadin-free options for morning hot cereal include millet, rice, quinoa, and amaranth.

Regular tea on an empty stomach may irritate the digestive lining, so you might want to consider a herbal alternative such as spearmint, rooibos, or a digestive blend. If you find that your symptoms persist after making these changes then it is worth investigating digestive enzyme supplements.