I only have two sons; both play football here in south Texas. With sports come injuries like strains, sprains, and, of course, homeopathy.
My oldest son has had his fair share of sprains and strains the past few seasons playing football. I have treated him and several others using the remedies Rhus tox and Ruta. Both of these remedies work wonders on ligament and tendon injuries.
Rhus toxicodenron
Rhus tox, aka “rusty gate”, is for acute sprains that are RESTLESS and STIFF. The pain worsens with initial movement and after rest but gets better with limbering up and prolonged motion. It helps me to remember remedies if they have nicknames. And a rusty gate is an excellent mental picture of Rhus tox. It squeaks when you first open it but after moving it around a few times it’s quiet.
It is one of our most critical joint remedies. It has tearing, drawing, burning, stitching, and shooting-type pains. Also, a bruised soreness as if beaten. It can be hard at times to get kids, especially if they’re in pain, to describe the type of pain they’re feeling. Sometimes I will toss out pain words to help them describe the sensations they have.
Ruta graveolens
The other important remedy to have on hand with sprains and strains is Ruta grav. Ruta is the premier tendon injury remedy. It has an affinity to wrists, knees, ankles, and the spine. The pain is worse with walking but made better by sitting and with cold applications.
They will have a bruised pain with aching soreness that can be local or even the whole body. The injured part may feel “as if broken” or even as if they’ve been beaten.
The remedy can be repeated frequently. I will often alternate Ruta with Rhus tox in Sports First Aid situations.
I bring my trusty First Aid remedy kit with me to every football game. I made this kit using the Sports First Aid Booklet. I will put Rescue Remedy in my boys’ water bottles before the game. I also make sure that I have Rhus tox and Ruta ready, just in case.
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