Bruises and how to heal them faster nauturally

I haven't posted anything for a while with school consuming my extra time. I thought I would write something about bruising and what has been my lifesaver. I have had 2 experiences in the last 6 months with the use Arnica salve. I first stumbled upon it at my local Target. I originally purchased it due to dry skin here in Arizona. Since my amazing purchase I have used it on several bruises I just happen to find. 

Christmas day (2014) was one of those days that went down in "Nelson" history.... That morning my youngest sister and I really wanted waffles and fresh squeezed orange juice. I went to grab the pitcher and not knowing there was a crack grabbed for the pitcher and sliced my finger almost to the bone. My sister at the time is waiting for nursing school and she was great! First we poured vinegar on the wound to help clout the blood faster. After 4 hours of bleeding we went to urgent care and I ended up with 3 stitches. What an experience! Once I pulled out my own stitches the healing process began and the skin finally closed up.
Since my tragic accident at Christmas causing me 3 stitches in my finger, the wound began to heal nicely with a combination of Tea Tree Melaleuca alternifolia, Lavender Lavandula angustifolia and Lemongrass Cymbopogon citratus essential oils. The skin started closing up within 2 weeks, but the 3rd week I removed my stitches myself. Once the skin was completely closed i began to lather Arnica salve Pomada de Arnica on which sped up the healing time and reduced the scar to a small line as you can see in the last photo. 

My next mishap was just  March 8th, 2015. It was your typical Saturday...... I was chatting on the phone with my sister while sitting on my small bathroom sink. Suddenly, I fell backwards and twisted which caused me to land sideways on the toilet seat before falling to the ground (it was a horrible experience that happened very fast).The right side of my body hit the hardest causing a huge bruise on just above my right hip. When I landed on the tile floor my ribs were extremely sore and still hurt almost 3 months later. My middle sister heard the whole thing take place and was about to drive over to make sure I was alright, I told her I was fine and I would be over later to watch a movie. 

Boy, after a few hours the skin didn't discolor- just hardened, but I could feel it was coming. A lump the size of a baseball, red and purple discoloring of the skin and multiple broker vessels. I also think I might have badly bruised or even fractured my ribs. Each day I began to lather the Arnica salve each night before I went to bed to see if it would help heal it faster than just naturally doing nothing. Low and behold I took pictures of the progress and the healing that took place. Normally bruises last 2+ weeks for me, but after 8 days you can see that it was almost all gone. I have been very fortunate to not have had this bruise longer and that it was in a good place to cover up. I laughed with my sister and said it looked like I had been in a nasty fight. Thank goodness I wasn't. 

Here are some useful benefits for Arnica:

• Bruises
• Sprains
• Soreness and swelling/ muscle spasms from sports activity
• arthritis that is set off by seasonal change or general muscle and joint pain

Available In:	Tincture, homeopathic ointment, cream, salve and pills
Herb Drug:	Some people are sensitive to the compound helenalin found in arnica. If you develop a mild rash, then you are probably helenalin-sensitive and should stop using arnica.
Interaction:	Arnica is toxic if it gets inside the body. Never apply arnica in any form on broken skin or on an open wound. Never take arnica internally unless it's in the form of homeopathic pills that contain too little arnica to cause harm.
When Buying:	Look for pure arnica extract, homeopathic pills with 30x dilution, or topical applications.
Dosage and Warning:	External ointments and tinctures: Rub or massage arnica tincture freely onto injured area, only if skin isn't broken. Arnica compresses: Mix 1 tablespoon of arnica tincture in 1 pint of purified water. Dip a gauze pad in the mixture, then put it on the arthritic joint or bruised area. Homeopathic arnica pills: Pour 4 pills into the cap of the bottle, them toss them into your mouth, under the tongue. (Never handle homeopathic pills, in order to preserve their energetic qualities.) The pills can be taken every two hours for the first 24 hours after the injury, but not within a half-hour of eating. Use the 30x dilution as a first aid treatment for minor injury and prior to dental work to reduce bruising.
Child Dosage:	Half the adult dose