Arnica for edema

[Formerly known as t-leigh]

Hello people.  I see quite a few of you on Facebook, hi.  To the rest, hi.  OK.  Hi to all.

As the people on FB know my horse had a collision with a guy wire.  Flipped over it.  Impact on high forearm muscle.  She's been fully vetted, had magna-wave and gentle chiro for spinal and neck (full one in 4 weeks after bruise healing).  I am confident in the medical care she's gotten.  She went from not moving that leg to walking out the next day.  It was in the range of miraculous change.

So... her muscle bruise is abating, and she is gathering some edema in her knee.  Vet said that's normal and it should start to resolve as she heals, but I don't have patience, so I am wondering what else I can do to help the process and I remembered some talk about Arnica.

Does that work for something like edema, or is it more for wounds?  I can't remember and I can't get much information off searching the net other than sellers of it.  So I am looking for people who've actually used it.  Or something else to help edema resolve.

Sorry to only come here when I need something, but... well... not much else I can say.  I do check in every now and then to see how you all are doing.

So thanks if anybody is kind enough to answer.

[Idaho Linda]

Hi there! I was just thinking about you a couple of days ago. I don't know about Arnica, but cold hosing should help. The body will ruush blood in to rewarm the area, and, in the process, carry away some of the swelling. I don't know what the current time in the cold is--I suspect about 15 minutes. Or, you could make an ice boot for the swollen area, if that would be easier. Hope she is all well soon!

[Marci]

Yes it works great for bruising and swelling. along with pain and inflammation. So glad she is doing so well. That must have been terrifying.

[Jenni]

That sounds terrifying - were you riding or was it a pasture foolishness injury? There is a poultice called sore no more which has arnica and witch hazel and a bunch of other things in a special clay. When Twister had some left over swelling from his bad injury a few years ago I mixed that with DMSO (where gloves!), put it on and wrapped with saran wrap with a standing bandage over it. Took out all the swelling in a couple days.

[Formerly known as t-leigh]

Hi, Linda... sometimes I see you on others' Facebooks Marci, I see you all the time

Jenni, actually I called her in for dinner, this time she ran in. Husband's horse had peeled the yellow sleeve off the guy wire so it wasn't that visible, I think she cut over to the right as I had put some cavaletti in her usual path, but she cut too far up the hill and hit the wire. I didn't see it happen. The pole it was attached to bounced so much that it actually bounced the utility pole 200' away as well. Spooked the other horses. I had no idea still, but then saw her standing there, blood coming out of her mouth. Putting it all together it looks like she hit the wire, went over face first and then landed flat on her back. There was ground in dirt and some grass cuttings just on her withers and point of butt. At first I was terrified it I might lose her. She wouldn't move from that leg. She'd pivot around it. I got her to move a couple of steps after some bute but she dragged it forward then clunked it down. The vet couldn't come 'til the next day so I spent a lot of time upset about this. But thankfully, no break, and after his visit with some pain/inflammation meds she was walking the next day - a little sore, and walking normally the day after. Then I called out an alternative practice vet for the PEMF (I think that's right) electro-magnetic field therapy, and some chiro adjusting along her spine. We are now hand-walking the field and she'll get to go back out next week.

She made what I'd call a miraculously fast recovery. The hematoma disappeared in 4-5 days, I'm told that's incredibly fast. I'm so grateful.

The swelling in the muscle is going down, and actually, I'm seeing the edema looking better now too.

That poultice sounds good - sure would be something one might want to keep around, what with horses being the way they are! Thanks for the recommend.

Oh, and we already did the DMSO at the beginning. Gloves for sure!

[Idaho Linda]

How is she doing?

[tleigh]

Amazingly well, as the vet said, "considering the velocity." I'm watching the muscle for the normal "anatomy" to reappear, muscle definition, veins. Only the front hasn't gone back totally. The edema on the knee is better. Last night she leaped into the air, bucked and ran. So, there's that. I was concerned she might be sore from that today but doesn't seem to be. Thanks for asking.

[Idaho Linda]

Big smile here!

[Jenni]

Probably best you didn't see it happen.... I think I would have had a heart attack right there! Glad she is doing better.

[tleigh]

You're right... I am not sure I could have dealt with watching that very well. It was bad enough to see the aftermath and think about how bad it might turn out. But I'm so happy she's healing well, I don't know what I would have done... well, never mind. I don't want to think about that.

[Yip]

Terrible wreck! I sure would use arnica to reduce edema. I use Sore-No-More for horses and myself. It contains arnica and it works! When daddio was in an almost head-on collision, He got slammed into the seatbelt and airbag. I got him using the SNM that same night, several times a day, and his chest never even bruised! He had been hit in much the same way several years earlier, and his entire chest and abdomen turned completely black with bruising. The only difference was the SNM quickly & consistently. I'm a believer!

[tleigh]

Well, we've been riding again for a couple of weeks with absolutely no residual issues from the wreck. Today we did our first little cross rail. Her trainer and I have been working on getting her more supple on the left side (she's always been sticky there, the injury was on the the right) before resuming jumping, but she's come along very fast - something I've come to expect of her. I trailered her out to the trainer's arena (SO much more room than mine) on Friday and it was cool and a little breezy. She ran around me and in and out through the pasture for a good 20 minutes 'til I caught her. She was moving so fast I didn't even bother chasing just stood and waited. And during our ride she threw in a buck during a canter for funsies. Considering the last time a horse bucked with me it didn't stop and the show grounds cleared in 30 seconds, I was just thinking, oh, this is it, going to fly, but it was just one, which she was chastised for and cantered past the spot a few times. I was so happy on the way home, even with the running and the buck, because she felt GOOD. Considering there was a time I thought I might lose her (after just 2 months), I was elated. Thanks for your input(s)!

[Marci]

Yee Haa!!! Good news!