Herbal Ice Poultice: A Natural Alternative to Ice for Optimal Healing
San Huang San: Why an Herbal Ice Poultice Is a Preferable Alternative to an Ice Pack
For most of us, an icepack is the first thing we reach for when we feel the twinge of pain from a sprain, strain, bruise, or pull. There's no denying that the numbing cold reduces the pain and swelling from damaged tissues. But is it the best way to ensure we jump-start an optimal healing process?
Herbal Ice Is Distilled from Thousands of Years of Wisdom
Herbal ice is an increasingly popular alternative in the West that originates in the long history of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), a collection of remedies that takes a holistic approach to healing, health, and longevity. Herbology is perhaps the oldest and most studied of all the sub-disciplines of TCM. Herbal ice draws upon thousands of years of this ancient wisdom, bringing together safe, effective, and natural compounds to soothe, repair, and rejuvenate the body's soft tissues.
A Poultice Is Quick and Easy to Employ
Herbal ice can appear in several forms; however, it is most often a poultice. Generally, TCM practitioners will grind equal parts of the ingredient herbs into a powder and add water to it, forming a paste. Then, they will spread the paste directly on the affected area and wrap it firmly with gauze or bandages. Some users prefer natural oil or petroleum jelly instead of water as a base, which yields more of an ointment. Regardless, the mixture is meant for application as soon as possible after an injury to jump-start the healing process.
Herbal Ice Uses Wholesome, Natural Ingredients
The exact ingredients of herbal ice may have changed over the centuries, but the most common form consists of six herbs that are common in TCM, each bringing their own benefits that contribute to a whole that represents more than the sum of its parts.
The main ingredients of herbal ice are –
da huang – medicinal rhubarb: improves circulation and may help remove toxins from the system. Sometimes used to treat constipation.
huang qin – skullcap: dried powder from the root can help treat inflammatory liver disorders, type 2 diabetes, and respiratory diseases.
huang bai – amur cork bark: the alkaloids in the bark have antimicrobial and antibiotic properties. In addition, high levels of quercetin make it comparable to vitamin E as a free-radical scavenger, making it a potent anti-inflammatory. TCM practitioners use it frequently as a treatment for abdominal issues and to protect cartilage and inhibit arthritis.
pu gong ying – dandelion: TCM benefits from dandelions' vitamin and mineral content. Furthermore, they commonly appear in treatments for several inflammatory diseases like hepatitis and related conditions such as jaundice.
zhi zi – gardenia: The small fruits of a gardenia have powerful anti-inflammatory properties and help improve circulation. In addition, Western medicine often employs them to help reduce cholesterol and blood triglycerides, combat flu, and reduce systemic inflammation.
hing hua – safflower: In TCM, safflower invigorates the blood, improving circulation. It also appears in treatments to promote menstruation in women.
Ice Packs Help Reduce Pain, but They Restrict Blood Flow
The most effective way to promote a full and speedy recovery for most injuries is to reduce excessive swelling and promote blood flow. Everyone who has ever had a sprain, strain, or large bruise knows that swelling and inflammation are excruciating. However, they also inhibit the healing process, sometimes preventing it from completing.
On the other hand, blood flow is crucial because it carries all the nutrients damaged tissues need to repair themselves. And this is where herbal ice outperforms regular ice. While the ubiquitous ice pack, so prevalent in every Western first-aid kit, helps reduce inflammation, herbal ice is just as effective, but it also increases blood flow to the injured tissues.
Herbal Ice Soothes Discomfort and Optimizes Healing
Although the cold of a standard ice pack reduces pain and swelling, it can constrict blood vessels, reducing the flow of vital nutrients to damaged tissues and even slowing the healing process. Traditional Chinese Medicine has long understood the pathological nature of too much cold, and herbal ice is an effective answer to the problem. So the next time you suffer from a pull, strain, or sprain, consider a poultice of herbal ice to bring down the swelling while fueling your body's natural capacity to heal.
Benefits
Use For Inflammation and Swelling
Herbal formulation designed specifically for reducing swelling and inflammation.
Provides the same cooling effect as ice but with the therapeutic benefit of promoting circulation to speed recovery.
Circulations transports nutrient rich-blood to the area for repair.
Unique formulation when administered helps pinpoint, diffuse pain and offers immediate soothing relief.