Ode to Arnicare!

*Okay, so technically there is no poetry here.  Just praise from a long-time fan and some before and after pictures of Arnicare's handy work.  If you are squeamish, don't scroll down to the pictures at the end.  Consider yourself forewarned!


I began using Boiron products after I injured my ankle playing soccer in high school.  The swelling, bruising, and incredible pain that accompanied the severe ligament tears were unlike anything I had experienced.  The negative prognosis I received from my doctors was discouraging.  A competitive athlete never wants to hear it will be months before they will be able to walk normally, a year or longer before they can run or compete again.  With my season starting a few months later, naturally, I considered their very conservative recovery timeline to be a challenge to overcome.  The more they insisted it would be quite a long time before I was playing competitively again, the more determined I became to prove them wrong.    

My family was incredibly supportive of my decision to dictate how and when my healing took place.  I was very lucky my mother kept me supplied with Arnica Montana, a homeopathic remedy used for centuries to relieve pain, inflammation and to promote the body's natural healing process.  With the help of this Mountain Daisy, taken both topically and sublingually, the swelling, bruising, and pain in my ankle diminished quickly and I was able to start getting movement and strength back in my ankle within weeks.  Arnicare was instrumental in my ability to start the recovery process quickly, to be productive during physical therapy sessions, and to be back on the field playing soccer again 3 months later!    

For over a decade now, I've kept Arnicare creams and gels on hand for tough training days, bumps and bruises, and long car rides.  The form of my occasional aches and pains have taken over the years has changed with my transition from a D1 soccer player to a competitive cyclist.  With long hours on the bike, a great deal of time lugging a heavy bike case through airports, and racing at the professional level (with some races lasting 7 days in a row!) I still rely on Arnicare to keep my body feeling fresh and ready to go, but I've also added two new essentials to my cabinet.  Calendula and Sportenine.  I've found Sportenine, a homeopathic medicine which reduces the symptoms associated with prolonged physical exercise, to be a great recovery aid, particularly when training or racing in the heat!  Calendula ointment (available in creams and lotions too) has been so good to my skin and keeps me from looking horrifically scarred considering how often my skin comes into contact with the pavement at 20+ mph.  After an unfortunate downhill slide on the pavement at one of my last races, I cleaned the deep gashes (nothing left to stitch according to the doctor) and road rash and began using Arnica Montana immediately after the crash.  I put 5 Arnicare pellets under my tongue to dissolve, applied the cool Arnicare gel everywhere with intact skin, and then applied the slight sweet smelling Calendula to the road burns.  As the deeps cuts started to heal, I began applying Calendula to those as well.  Photos below...

Sorry for the blurry photo, but you get the idea...

A couple days later....

A week and change after the crash!

Before...

After!

Paceline Projects p/b Veloforma Women's Cycling Team is very proud to partner with Arnicare this year.  We can't thank the folks at Arnicare enough for their support, keeping us healthy and healing us quickly so we can do what we love!  Next time you or a loved one is in need of some healing aid, check out the health section at your local co-op, or natural grocer to find Boiron products, or read more about their homeopathic medicines online at http://www.boironusa.com/ or http://www.arnicare.com/