The List Of Top Herbs That Heals Wounds Fast
For centuries, people have been using plants as a method to treat wounds and help speed healing. Aloe vera is one such herb that has grabbed everyones attention in this special category. But there are several other herbs for wound healing that are equally effective. So, scroll down below to check out the list of herbs for wounds that wont heal.
Traditional Use Of Medicinal Plants In Wound Healing
For more than 5000 years, Egyptians, indigenous peoples of Africa, Asia, Romans, and the Americas have used medicinal plants as first-line therapy for inflammation, burns, ulcers, and surgical wounds. They contain many natural bioactive compounds that help fasten the process of wound healing and regenerate tissue at the wound site. Some examples of medicinal plants and their wound healing effects are listed below .
Centella
This was also known as Asian pennywort, used to facilitate healing of wounds. To facilitate the healing of the chronic ulcers in terms of their distance, depth, and scale, extracts from the Centella asiatica aerial sections are reported. Asiaticoside isolated from the Centella asiatica has been shown to promote epithelialization and collagen deposition in a punch type wound. Centella asiatica isolated triterpenes improve collagen remodeling and the synthesis of glycosaminoglycans. In addition, it has been shown that oral administration of madecassoside from Centella asiatica promotes collagen synthesis and angiogenesis at the wound site .
Turmeric
Bay
Aloe
Burdock
Ginseng
Neem
German chamomile
Table 2 Different types of wound dressings for the delivery of plant-based constituents
Natural Wound Care Techniques
How can I make my wound heal faster? You may have been asking yourself this question before you came across this article. For minor wounds, clean your wound with running water and a gentle soap, dry it and then cover the wound with a sterile bandage. For more serious wounds, follow your healthcare providers wound care instructions.
If youre looking for some additional natural remedies to help heal wounds fast, here are some great ideas:
1. Top Foods to Heal Wounds
If youre looking for how to heal deep wounds faster, dont forget about your diet! There are many healing foods that can help, including:
- Green leafy vegetables: Kale, broccoli, spinach and other greens are high in vitamin K, which is essential for blood clotting.
- Clean, lean protein: The body cannot rebuild lost tissue without protein. Try to get at least four to five ounces of organic, lean protein per meal.
- Wild-caught fish: Essential fatty acids found in foods like wild-caught fish, walnuts, flaxseeds and chia seeds are critical to help rapidly heal wounds.
2. Avoid Foods that Slow Healing
Then there are some foods youll want to avoid to encourage healing, including:
3. Collagen
To incorporate collagen into your diet, try making homemade bone broth or using a protein powder made from bone broth, which is rich in collagen. Research demonstrates collagen powder may even be helpful as adjunctive therapy for chronic wounds such as pressure ulcers and diabetic foot ulcers.
4. Raw Honey
5. Essential Oils
6. Zinc
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Tea Tree Oil Could Be Beneficial For:
- acne
Safety: 4.5/5
Evidence: 3.5/5
Echinacea is a lot more than those pretty, purple coneflowers you see dotting gardens. These blooms have been used for centuries as medicine in the form of teas, juice, and extracts. Today, they can be taken as powders or supplements.
The best-known use of echinacea is to shorten symptoms of the common cold , but more studies are needed to verify this benefit and to understand how echinacea boosts immunity when a virus is present.
Generally, save a few potential side effects, echinacea is relatively safe. Even though it needs more testing, you can always choose to use it if youre hoping to see your cold symptoms end more quickly.
Interesting Fact
Some of the earliest people to use echinacea as a medicinal herb were Native Americans. The first archaeological evidence dates back to the 18th century.
Formulas For Burns Bites Stings Wounds And Trauma
Traumatic injuries to the skin affect nearly everyone over the course of a lifetime. Herbal therapies can promote healing and help alleviate pain and discomfort. Such herbs may be effective both topically and internally. Homeopathic medicines are often helpful for bites and stings and are specific for various presentations and qualities of pain. Home remedies can also be useful for minor kitchen burns and cuts, and many households have common remedies on hand such as onions , an Aloe plant, or simple ice packs.
Following are homeopathic, topical, and internal remedies to help allay acute pain and itching due to venomous insects. While snakebites require expert medical care, and antivenom where available, Echinacea is a traditional North American herbal option, and several homeopathics detailed below may also help while en route to the hospital.
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Precautions For Wound Care
If youre wondering, Is my cut infected or just healing?, you may want to see your doctor to be on the safe side.
Always seek emergency medical care if:
- You have excessive bleeding from a wound, or the bleeding is difficult to stop.
- Its a wound caused by the bite of an animal or a human.
- Your skin is pulled apart due to a wound. You may require stitches.
- Its a wound accompanied by numbness. This may be indicative of nerve damage.
As your wound heals, do not pick or scratch at any scabs that form because this can lead to scarring or infection.
Contact your doctor if you notice any of the following signs of an infected wound:
- Increased redness or swelling
- Pain that worsens as time goes on
- Skin around the wound feels warm
- Unpleasant odor when cleaning the wound
- Unusual or increased drainage
- Fever or chills
If you have a serious wound, check with your doctor before using any topical alternative remedies.
Flax Seed Could Be Beneficial For:
Safety: 4/5
Evidence: 3/5
The tea tree, which is native to Australia, produces an oil thats long been thought to be beneficial for skin conditions, including mild acne, athletes foot, small wounds, dandruff, insect bites, and other inflammatory skin conditions.
There needs to be further study into acne and scalp use, but for now, theres a degree of research into the antimicrobial superpowers of tea tree oil on wounds and topical infections.
One recent study said that tea tree oil slowed the growth of acne-causing microbes. Its commonly used as a highly concentrated essential oil.
Wilson recommends that tea tree oil, as with all essential oils, should be diluted in a carrier oil. She adds that it often already comes diluted in a variety of skin care products and creams.
Interesting Fact
Tea tree oil is derived from the leaves of a tree thats native to Queensland and New South Wales, Australia.
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Herbs For Sprains And Strains
Sprains and strains are trauma to an area caused by injury. The most common sprains are in the ankles and wrists. Sprains may feel like a broken bone, so you may need to get x-rays to be sure the area is clear of breaks.
For either one, you can make a poultice of comfrey leaf like with the bruises. I use a whole comfrey leaf and wrap it around the affected area. Then apply a warm, damp cloth to help the compounds in the comfrey leaf to penetrate the skin. Comfrey can be prickly, so you may want a cloth between the leaf and your skin. Comfrey is also known as Bone Knit, meaning that when used this way, it can help mend broken bones.
One of the noted herbalists in my area sprained his ankle a few years ago and attributes comfrey to helping speed the healing process.
Top Ten Herbs For Your Topical First
This list starts with plant products that are easiest to purchase, and moves toward plants that are easy to grow and harvest, if youre of a gardening disposition. These are all fantastic to keep on hand in case of injury. Bulk herbs and tea bags should be replaced every year. Label everything, and store it in a cool, dark placeno windowsill storage!Its safe to use these as you would a lotion, applying whenever you need relief, unless otherwise indicated.
1. Arnica flowers Purchase gel, cream, or oil and apply to bruises and sore muscles.
Do not apply to broken skin. The plant is very acrid and shouldnt be used internally . The gel is more cooling than the cream. Arnica is mostly a mountain plant, but A. chamissonis grows easily in other climates.
2. Lavender flowers
Purchase essential oil for burns.
Lavender is one of the few essential oils that is safe to apply directly to the skin, and it works well even for severe burns. The scent of lavender is also relaxing, so its nice to have around to sniff if life is stressful. Lavender is easy to grow if you plant a seedling, rather that seeds. Essential oil requires pounds of flowers and expensive machinery, so its much easier to buy a small bottle.
3. Johns wort flowering tops
Purchase oil or make an infused oil or salve for nerve pain and eczema.
4. Chamomile flowers
Purchase teabags for inflammation and skin-healing.
5.Tobacco leaf
Make a spit poultice for bee stings.
6. Aloe inner leaf
Use the fresh plant for burns.
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Ten Proven Herbs For Broken Bones
Herbal remedies for broken bones are many and integrate them into your diet in order to not only help heal faster but strengthen your bones to avoid osteoporosis or other bone degeneration issues which can cause repeat sprains and fractures throughout your life.
In early week by incorporating the following vitamins and minerals into your diet, you will help your body speed up the natural healing process by helping it conserve energy during the healing process. This is why your diet during the first few weeks after you break a bone is essential for the effective healing process.
After a bone is broken, your body will naturally proceed with its healing process. This process involves three distinct stages, and your diet and mineral intake will definitely have an influence on how your body performs during all three stages.
There are three distinct stages of bone fracture healing. They are
1. Inflammatory stage
3. Remodeling stage.
Inflammatory stage:
After tissue breaks, the body immediately goes into action by forming a hematoma that attracts immune cells called white cells. White cells join this process of infection protection through the formation of white blood cells.
- Swelling,
- Redness, and
- Inflammation
It is also the process of growth of new blood vessels and the recruitment of other proteins that leads to the building of new bone. Though inflammation causes pain, this also triggers the bone building process.
Reparative stage:
Remodeling stage:
Internal Formula To Support Healing Of Burns
For serious burns, the use of vulnerary herbs may help speed healing and reduce scarring. Symphytum officinale is a healing agent of long standing and Calendula officinalis is known to promote circulation to the dermis and enhance connective tissue regeneration at the basement membrane. Research is limited, but Calendula officinalis is believed to facilitate wound healing via promotion of glycoprotein and collagen synthesis, hastening dermal regeneration. Hypericum perforatum helps reduce pain and heal injured nerve endings. Centella asiatica has been shown useful in promoting epithelial regeneration following burns. This formula may be prepared as a tincture or a tea.
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Herbs For Muscle Aches And Pains
Depending on where your muscle pain is, it can be treated in a few different ways.
Topically, you can use aloe vera, which is anti-inflammatory and soothing. I also use cinnamon, lavender, and capsacin topically. All of these can be used as an essential oil which can be applied to the affected area. Most need to be diluted in a carrier oil.
Internally, chamomile, fennel, ginger, slippery elm bark, turmeric and willow bark can all be used. You can make a tea or use tinctures of these, depending on which ones youll be using. Be aware of what is in each one. For example, if you are aspirin sensitive, you may want to avoid willow bark because it contains compounds similar to aspirin. Additionally, turmeric is more effective when taken with black pepper. This speeds the uptake of turmeric in the body.
Another great pain aid is magnesium. While not an herb, magnesium can be used as a muscle relaxant. Soak in a tub with a half a cup of Epsom salt or use magnesium lotion directly on the affected area.
Mechanism/pathophysiology Of Wound Healing
The different phases of wound healing are described in Fig. . Blood-borne cellsâneutrophils, macrophages, and plateletsâplay crucial roles during the coagulation and inflammatory phases of the healing. These cells provide the growth factors and interim matrices required for the recruitment into the wound bed of epidermal and dermal cells. The proliferative process starts around 3 days after injury and is characterized by increased rates of proliferation, migration, and extracellular matrix synthesis of keratinocytes and fibroblasts in response to autocrine, juxtracrine, and paracrine growth factors. In this process, angiogenesis/neovascularization occurs too. The tissue has a granular texture , due to the involvement of blood vessels. Eventually, inside the granulation tissue, differentiated fibroblastic cells begin to remodel the extracellular matrix at about 1 to 2 weeks after injury. Extracellular matrix remodeling accompanied by resident cell apoptosis leads to an acellular scar formation . Medicinal plants and their metabolites used in the treatment of different types of wounds are depicted in Table .
Fig. 1
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Six Highly Effective Herbs That Promote Wound Healing
Wounds either open or closed can be a terrifying sight to see and also cause severe pains to the bearer. Open wounds most especially, are a nightmare as well as a scare, and it is not just about them being painful alone, they also constitute a whole lot of mess and sadly take a very long time to heal. They also leave permanent marks and scars on the skin.
There are so many homemade ointments that can be produced in the comfort of the kitchen that works amazingly well compared to those ointments sold over the counters which are not as reliable as the natural ones. Some of these ingredients that have become powerful healers of wounds because of their healing properties are commonly used in cooking.
The good thing about these home treatments and solutions is that they not only clean the wound better, they also disinfect them. And as long as they are used properly and at the right time, results will be gotten in no time.
When dealing with any wound, always ensure that the instructions outlined or given by a doctor are followed to the letter. However, several supplemental strategies help bolster the wound care process. For instance, certain vitamins and minerals can maximize your bodys wound healing mechanisms. That includes vitamin A, which is rich in tissue-building collagen, and vitamin D, perfect for fighting off infection.
Healing Herbs For Wounds And Scrapes
A cut can be as thin as a sheet of paper. Deep cuts require medical attention, but I use herbs for shallow cuts.
First, as above, clean the wound. If the wound is deeper than a scrape, bacteria can get inside. One way to fight this is to flush the wound with hydrogen peroxide. Peroxide will bubble and force out any bacteria that may be deep inside. Once the cut is flushed out, pat it dry. Then apply some tea tree oil essential oil. Although it can be used neat, meaning it doesnt need to be diluted, some people experience stinging with tea tree essential oil. Mix it with some sweet almond or grapeseed oil and apply it to the cut. Tea tree oil can heal from the inside out, sealing the wound inside and healing it there. Apply a bandage if necessary.
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Types Of Topical Healing Herbs
When we talk about herbs, we use actions to understand how different plants do what they do. Topical herbs fall into several categories of actions. An anti-microbial herb destroys invading microbes: bacteria, viruses, and fungus. Some herbs are anti-bacterial, some are anti-viral, some are anti-fungal. Some plants are a combination, and a few are broad-spectrum antimicrobials, meaning they fight all three. An anti-inflammatory herb calms excess inflammation. Inflammation consists of heat, redness, swelling, and pain. The process of inflammation is necessary to healing: it brings resources to the site of trauma. But sometimes, inflammation isnt helpful, as in cases of allergic reactions or itchy bug bites ongoing, chronic inflammation can be damaging to the tissue, not to mention uncomfortable for you. A vulnerary herb supports healing of tissue. The body has various immune cells that heal wounds, and herbs can help every step of the way. Vulneraries can support healing of wounds, scrapes, rashes, burns, sprains, torn muscles, broken bones, and even bruising. Vulneraries can work internally as well as externally, but here were focusing on external application.
Treat All Wounds As Internal Wounds
Andrew Hague
When we think of wounds we think of the skin. It is our main external organ that is prone to injury and has the ability to heal. The means by which the healing happens comes from inside and is a function of the immune system recognising that it has to send stem cells to the site, blood with additional oxygen and repair nerves so that the new skin is sensitive. When healing does not happen, the cure has to be done internally for what is on the outside has no effect other than keeping the wound clean.
There are two reasons why a wound refuses to heal: infection and lack of vascularisation.
Cleaning a wound and applying antiseptics is a useful first step but if they have no effect applying more will still be useless. Filling the patient with antibiotics causes more damage than it solves. The digestion system is disrupted which is unhelpful because during healing the body needs nutrition. What exactly the infection is will be unknown to the doctor or nurse and they do not know where it is.
If the patient is diabetic, and diabetics provide hospitals with most of the non-healing wounds, their blood supply is generally inadequate. A vascular surgeon armed only with a drug cabinet and scalpel has no way to make the blood flow increase so the wound does not receive the growth factors, stem cells and oxygen which will cause new tissue regeneration until the chalones signal that no more growth is required.
When drugs are useless
And there are no drugs to help you.
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