If you have been doing MA's for awhile, then you have picked up a few tricks for treating minor injuries and adapted them to works best for you so that you can stay on the mat. Below is my general routine for sprains & bad bruises w/ moderate swelling ( no broken bones or tears). I would like to hear yours..... After class: Ice pack injury for 20min., remove for 20min., Re-ice for 20min.; rest. For the next week: Increase fluids by one portion per meal, & one portion of water packed pineapple per meal. Train around injury, loosely pad or wrap if in a area that gets bumped alot. recovery time for me is three to four weeks.
I follow much of what I have written in the article I posted Martial Art Train Without Pain ... ... years of bruising, muscle soreness, pulls and spasms has taught me a thing or two! Tiger balm is the bomb! (that means its good stuff )
KC thanks for the article, lots of good stuff. Tiger Balm is great stuff, But I've been told not to heat swelling injuries and I see that you state the same in your article. I've also been told not to heat or massage bad bruises, do you have anything on that?
The rule of thumb for most injuries is to start with cold. With any injury, there's initial inflammation, and heat will just increase it. After cold treatments, when all the swelling has disappeared, heat can help relieve muscle spasms and increase mobility. Heat is also useful for increasing muscle elasticity during long-term recovery from an injury.
When you run out of the stuff (as almost always happens just when you need it!) .... you can make your own! Check this out ... just be sure your kids don't go by the stove and take a lick as you are preparing the stuff Tiger Balm is the oriental version of Ben Gay or Vicks. Take a small jar of Vaseline, a small jar of Vicks, cayenne red pepper (it's somewhere in the kitchen on your spice rack) and either dried red chilli peppers (most gourmet stores have them) or red chilli peppers that have already been bottled (they're probably next to the cayenne pepper). Put the Vaseline in a pot and melt it on the stove at low heat. Add two or three tablespoons of Vicks...depending on how smelly and mentholly you want it...until that also is melted. Grind up the red pepper until it's a powder, mix it with the cayenne pepper and add to the melted Vaseline. While in its liquid state, repour it back into a jar and let cool. I did not mention the quantities of either the cayenne pepper or the chilli pepper because that will be up to you based on the desired strength of your compound. If you use a small jar of Vaseline and you want it hot, use two tablespoons of both peppers finely ground and stirred into the compound. When it cools it will be somewhere between a pink to red color. You've just made Red Tiger Balm... congratulations! *oops... forgot to add a warning: Wear gloves when preparing or wash hands thoroughly (especially guys!) ...somebody informed me of a bathroom incident wherein this guy did not heed this warning
I've always wondered what the recipe is for Tiger Balm, thanks KC. I'll just have to make sure I don't lick the spoon when I make it Whats the benefits of using it? I've heard if you apply it before you do conditioning, it can prevent skin abrasions and injurys.
The balm is not a prevention mind you ... but it is an effective external analgesic rub and provides effective, temporary relief of all pain and bruises associated with the martial arts ... I have used primarily for muscle pulls, leg cramps and irritated knuckles from punching but do not to apply it to broken skin! Many thai boxers use Tiger Balm to rub their calves, quads, and hamstrings before training so as not to cramp up. It's pretty good for itchy insect bites too! ... I do sound like their spokesperson don't I??
Thanks for the Rx recipe K.C.!! I have found that cayenne pepper mixed into a standard massage oil helps dissapate routine bruises sooner. At least for me, I haven't herd of anyone else trying it & effect. Additional Warning: when pouring hot liquids into jars, warm the jar up or put a cold piece of metal (spoon,etc.) into it so that it doesn't crack and create a royal mess!!!
tiger balm is great, but i found something that works 10 times better!! the stuff is called medirub. it is basicly nutmeg oil mixed with all sorts of things. caution: this thing is also 10 times hotter than tiger balm! try to ask around oriental shops if u r interested. the bottle and packing is green. i got mine from a malaysian friend who went back for holidays. if u know someone who is going to malaysia, get them to bring some for u.
