Natural Healing Remedies After Injury

Dr. Google councils many of us when we experience odd symptoms or an injury, especially when searching for natural alternatives. Most of us like to explore what others have experienced. Well, I’ll tell you, there is little out there about natural healing remedies for a hamstring avulsion. This inspired me to write a blog to provide some support to others in my situation, or a similar injury. Obviously, seek a professional opinion first!

Whether it’s hamstring related or not, you’ll learn how these healing remedies support tissue repair for other setbacks or conditions. Of course, I’m NOT offering medical advice!

Hopefully, this resource helps you and your provider to create a plan together! This journey was also very mentally taxing. For more on that, listen to this podcast.

The Injury

In early May 2018, I was roller skating with a friend when a little rock got caught in my skate and took me down. Hard! Get the whole story here. But to brief you, my legs went into a forward splits position and I felt a “pop” in my front hamstring. Holy pain! A few days later, my injury was confirmed. I suffered a hamstring avulsion. An avulsion typically occurs after a sudden stretch or muscle overload. This leads to the muscle tendon tearing away from the bone. Yes, it’s as painful as it sounds. In my case, I tore two of the three hamstring muscles away from the pelvic bone.

Most hamstring injuries are treated with non-invasive procedures. A hamstring avulsion is typically treated with surgery and rehab (1). However, after consulting with various experts, I opted for natural healing remedies instead. After years of research and major self-work to heal and improve my overall health (down to a gut and cellular level), I wanted to give my body the opportunity to heal naturally. After all, bodies want to repair and heal.

So, after getting a few professional opinions and exploring my options, I decided to move forward with healing remedies that utilized incredible technology to enhance and expedite the repair process. The doctor helping lead my treatment was orthopedic surgeon and longevity expert, Dr. Mark Legome, MD.

What to Expect Here

In this blog, I lay out all the details of my plan and provide science about the healing remedies I tried. While the terminology often seems confusing and overwhelming, the basics are this: our bodies have mechanisms to heal. And when we put it in the right environment and provide the right nutrients, it will do it’s thing.

The main objective of the protocols I discuss relate to enhancing cellular and stem cell rejuvenation. The goal was reattaching the hamstring muscle tissue without surgery.

Before we dive in deep, the elephant in the room is obviously cost. Unfortunately, insurance covers none of these natural healing remedies. While that’s frustrating and disappointing, in order to make a movement, we must speak up. I chose to use my voice and dollars to help push this movement forward.

Images Post Injury

I had no visible bruising for the first week after the injury. Meaning, the trauma was pretty deep inside the tissues. However, my upper thigh swelled almost immediately. That leg remained approximately 3 inches bigger than my right thigh for almost two weeks.

The photo on the far left shows bruising at the 10 day mark (very little bruising). With each passing day, the bruising increased. The far right photo makes it look like my whole leg was injured. And honestly, this one was taken in poor light. But you can see how the blood looks like it traveled down the leg. The blood eventually moved down the thigh and even into my calf while the body tried to remove it. A few days after that last image, the bruising disappeared! The blood outside of veins and arteries can be very inflammatory and painful, which is one reason I included cupping, dry needling and acupuncture. These therapies increase microcirculation, which speeds up the process.

My Healing Remedies Outline

Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment (HBOT)
- One hour sessions five days per week.
Human Growth Hormone (HGH) & Bioidentical Testosterone
- Ten, very low-dose injections
Infrared Sauna
- Four days per week
Physical Therapy with acupuncture, dry needling and cupping
- 90 min session three days per week.
Vibration Stimulation Massage Therapy
- Two times per week
Intravenous Glutathione
- One to two times per week
Nutrient Therapy/Supplementation
- Consistent supplementation including an active B complex, Magnesium Threonate and Amino Acids. This was specific to me, not necessarily universal.
Real food diet, good sleep & mindfulness/meditation practice
Visits to an orthopedic surgeon and longevity doctor Dr. Mark Legome of the Longevity Orthopedic Center oversaw my healing and helped me make my plan of attack for natural healing.

Chalene-dr-legome — Chalene and Dr. Legome

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)

Of all the treatments, HBOT was my top priority, and the one with the biggest bang for your buck. Why? Because in my opinion, it’s the one with the biggest healing impact. And, it has a cumulative effect. Cumulative meaning, regardless of how often you go, each session builds on the others. You won’t regress by taking a break. And you don’t have to go daily to benefit.

HBOT Explained

HBOT is the use of high pressure oxygen to increase delivery of oxygen to your body’s fluids, cells and organs (1). Why is this important? Well, oxygen is essential to our body. Think about it. We can go days without water and weeks without food, but cut off our oxygen supply and we only have minutes to survive. When you’re in the pressurized HBOT chamber, you’re breathing 96-100% oxygen. To give you a comparison, the air we breath at sea level is 21% oxygen, 78% nitrogen and 1% other gases (2).

Generally, only our red blood cells carry oxygen, but HBOT delivers oxygen into all the body’s fluids including plasma, central nervous system and lymph. When this occurs, dissolved oxygen is delivered throughout the body, which increases new capillary growth, connective tissue growth and faster healing (1,3,4). Research has also shown HBOT reduces markers of inflammation and oxidative stress in both animal and human studies (5, 6).

After a major injury, increasing blood flow and tissue growth is key. That is essential when it comes to healing an injury or damaged tissues. A lot of the research on HBOT looked at its impact on ischemia-reperfusion (I/R), which refers to the tissue that’s damaged when the blood supply returns to tissues after a period of no or low oxygen (4). HBOT slows down the reperfusion injury (3,4,7).

Even More Benefits!

On a separate note, HBOT also improves cognitive performance, attention, memory, word recall and reaction time (9-11). In fact, I used HBOT for part of my brain healing treatment after years of sleep deprivation (see images). This is a coveted neuro-therapy for brain repair which is exciting for supporting individuals with PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, multiple sclerosis, migraines and chronic conditions like alzheimer’s disease. Many functional medicine doctors are beginning to use HBOT as an effective therapy despite the fact that the medical system remains skeptical and considers it experimental or “off-label.”

Shown in the video below, the therapy is done in a coffin or spaceship like device. For claustrophobics, it can take a few times to build up to a full session length. But most people do just fine. Treatments last one to two hours, and depending on the type of chamber, some allow wifi and cell phones. You’re monitored from the outside and can communicate if needed. Some people feel pressure changes in their ears or sinuses, but the staff teaches you how to smoothly adjust.

There are different types of chambers; hard and soft. The one in the video below is a hard chamber. The hard chamber is either in a bed style or a cockpit or tiny spaceship where you sit up. This type gets to the desired pressure and oxygen level. The small chamber, which looks like an inflatable bag, has a milder oxygen level and pressure. Just be aware of the difference between soft and hard chambers in terms of benefits.

Uses and Cost

FDA approved, HBOT can be covered by insurance for various conditions like carbon monoxide poisoning, arterial gas embolism, strokes, decompression sickness and a few others. Some conditions like lyme disease, migraines, sports injuries, traumatic brain injuries, autism and more (8) may or may not be covered by insurance. The cost varies with each facility. But you can expect to pay an average of $350 per session.

Human Growth Hormone and Bio-Identical Testosterone

Another component of my therapy included ten rounds of low-dose human growth hormone (HGH) injections. HGH is a natural hormone our body makes and secretes through our pituitary gland (1). Now, hold on for a second, I’m going to share a little extra science here in hopes that you notice a few key words; (hint) cell regeneration and tissue growth.

For the Science Nerds

HGH acts on the liver which increases a growth promoting factor called IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor). HGH and IGF-1 push the body towards an anabolic (building) state. They play important roles in cell regeneration and tissue growth in skeletal muscle and other organs like the brain (2-3). The body can also use a negative feedback mechanism, in which case increased HGH (like when fasting) actually decreases IGF-1 (4-5). Research has shown benefits to periods of increasing HGH and IGF-1 from time-to-time. However, it’s not necessarily something we want elevated all the time.

There are actually a number of ways to increase HGH naturally. These include high intensity interval training exercise, sauna therapy and fasting (5-7). As you can imagine, immediately after an injury it’s difficult to do strenuous exercise, and fasting would have been an additional emotional and physical stressor to add right away. So, my doctor recommended low-dose and short-term HGH injections to increase muscle repair. To learn more about how to naturally increase HGH with fasting, check out the 131 Method.

Now, I am making things sound a little more simplistic than they actually are, so don’t just jump on the HGH injection train without professional support. In my case, the cell regeneration and tissue growth were imperative for healing and getting my injured hamstring to reattach on its own.

More Cool Stuff….

In addition to HGH, I used very low dose bioidentical testosterone. Bioidentical simply means the molecular structure is identical to the human-produced version. Testosterone is obviously formed in the body naturally in both males and females. The low-dose testosterone injections help stimulate tissue healing, muscle repair/growth and reduce recovery time. To help my body metabolize the testosterone, I took a supplement called DIM (Diindolylmethane) which is a compound found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower (8). The supplement is simply a concentrated dose. A lot of the research on DIM centers around its anti-cancer properties. But it’s also an aromatase inhibitor (9).

healing range of motion — Range of motion increasing in just 3 weeks!

Infrared Sauna

Infrared saunas are the queen bee to average saunas. The infrared light penetrates the skin and works by raising the body’s core temperature. Dry saunas just heat up the surface temperature. Now, in terms of sweating, any heat therapy increases sweating. However, the infrared light offers additional benefits. There are three different types of infrared wavelengths: far, mid, or near infrared. Far infrared reaches our deepest tissues, mid focuses on the soft tissue of the body, and near boosts mitochondria and cellular repair.

Why I Chose Sauna Therapy

One of the primary reasons I included infrared saunas into my treatment plan was to increase blood flow. The increase in core body temperature in an infrared allows blood vessels to dilate and improves blood flow to skeletal muscle and other tissues (1). By increasing blood flow to my hamstring muscle, I enhanced nutrient delivery and oxygen transport directly to my muscles.

Further Benefits

Infrared sauna treatments also aid in reducing pain, stiffness, and fatigue (2-3). These direct beneficial effects are due to whole-body hyperthermia induced by the sauna (2). Hyperthermic conditioning is a fancy term for the changes that occur in our bodies when exposed to very hot conditions, like an infrared sauna. By repeated exposure to these high-heat environments, we improve mechanisms in our body that help reduce the negative effects associated with higher core body temperatures (1).

For weeks after an injury like this, mobility and physical activity levels will be restricted. To help the body in muscle regrowth, hyperthermic conditioning plays a beneficial role. To generate new muscle growth, protein synthesis (the making of new protein) must outweigh protein degradation (protein breakdown that occurs while we use muscles or do not use them at all). Hyperthermic conditioning reduces protein degradation, therefore, increasing net protein synthesis. Growth outweighs breakdown!

Regrowth in Days!

Hyperthermic conditioning from the sauna actually helps muscle regrowth in a few ways. Hyperthermic conditions cause our bodies to produce heat shock proteins (HSPs), stimulate growth hormone, and improve our insulin sensitivity (1). The production of HSPs have a few roles in our body, but most importantly, correlate with more muscle regrowth. This persists for up to 48 hours after whole body hyperthermia. As you read above, growth hormone plays a role in cell regeneration and tissue growth in skeletal muscle. So, the sauna is an easy (and relaxing) way to boost natural production of growth hormone. It’s a fantastic natural healing remedy for anyone, injury or not. And, sauna studios are popping up everywhere with affordable pricing.

Physical Therapy

Personally, I went to Balance Point Therapy where my physical therapy, acupuncture, dry needling and cupping occured at one spot. The physical therapy component is essential to any healing protocol, whether it’s natural or surgical. Partner up with a good PT!

Dry Needling

Dry needling, also known as myofascial trigger point dry needling, or intramuscular stimulation, is a technique involving needling of muscle trigger points (1). A trigger point is the most sensitive spot in a taut band of muscles. Essentially, a dry needle is quickly poked through the skin and then a trained professional moves the needle until a local twitch response occurs.

Generally, about 45-60 seconds is spent on each trigger point until the local twitch response stops. This technique is different than acupuncture, though they both use a similar needle or filament. Dry needling is based on Western neuro-physiological principles and not Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Dry needling is used by many Physical Therapists to help relax overactive muscles, improve muscular pain and myofascial dysfunction. It’s not only done on muscles. Dry needling works on ligaments, tendons, scar tissue and subcutaneous fascia.

The Types

There are different forms and techniques of dry needling, but for my therapy, I did a specific Integrative Dry Needling (IDN) technique done by Ray Roman, Physical Therapist and director of Balance Point Therapy. IDN is based on finding the trigger points that are symptomatic. IDN also incorporates some acupuncture practices (which is not typical of traditional dry needling techniques). The focus is to create homeostasis in local tissue and to put the body in a better state for self-healing.

Additionally, it’s increasing microcirculation of blood. Just like when you cut your finger, blood flow increases to that area for healing. Well, the same thing happens when small lesions are made in various tissues. Small amounts of blood go to that area to stimulate healing.

The Research

As far as research goes, several studies demonstrate short-term results and improvements. But no high-quality or longer term trials have been done yet (2-5). Many experts and studies suggest it is an effective therapy in the short-term and is meant to be done with physical therapy to retrain the muscle (6-7). For any individuals struggling with fibromyalgia pain, take note. There are numerous studies showing improvements in pain for individuals with fibromyalgia (2-4).

So, without long term studies, why did I move forward with dry needling? Simple. I asked my questions of the experts, had them explain the mechanisms, made sure the potential benefits outweighed the potential risks, listened to numerous testimonials and I made a decision for myself to experiment. Listen though, if you try dry needling, you must ensure the professional you see is properly trained! Ask questions! Get a proper assessment by a physical therapist first. And make sure you utilize other modalities to retrain the muscle.

Lastly, if you’re wondering what this feels like, it’s not a painful process. But the twitching is real and noticeable! In fact, in some of my sessions, my OTHER leg began twitching too. Trippy!

Cupping

Another part of my natural healing physical therapy session includes dynamic cupping. Cupping therapy is a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practice that involves cups being placed on the skin to create suction. Traditional cupping involves using flames to heat and power the suction inside glass cups. Fortunately, with modern developments, there are now ways to do cupping without using an open flame. Types of cupping include: dry cupping, wet cupping, moving cupping, and needling cupping (1). Cups can be made out of plastic, silicone, bamboo or glass.

Dry cupping: a vacuum is created by heating the cup directly or using an open flame or a rubber pump.
Wet cupping: similar to dry cupping but includes laceration of the skin and blood being drawn.
Massage (“glide”) cupping: combining massage and cupping by moving cups over affected areas causing myofascial release.
Needle cupping: combining cupping with acupuncture by inserting an acupuncture needle into the skin and a cup over the needle.

How it Works

The cups are strategically placed on an area indicated by an acupuncture point, pain, or a reflex zone. Cups are usually left on for 5-10 minutes, allowing enough time for the air to begin to cool inside the cup. As the air inside the cup cools, it creates suction that draws the skin up into the cup and causes reddening as blood vessels expand. A distinctive red circle appears on the skin and shows where your tissue has been pulled up. The circles fade over the course of several days.

The suction on the skin increases blood flow to stagnant skin and muscles. As you have gathered by now, this promotes healing (1,2). In addition to improving our subcutaneous blood flow, cupping reduces pain and loosens tight or painful muscles by promoting relaxation of the muscle fibers. It helps loosen scar tissue and lifts connective tissue, making them more flexible, thereby reducing pain.

Other claims include:

Draining excess fluids and toxins from the body due to cupping’s ability to stimulate the lymphatic system (and therefore strengthening our immune system).
Influencing neurohormones and stimulating our peripheral nervous system (2).
Reducing pain in conditions like cervical pain, back pain, osteoarthritis and acute soft tissue injury (3).

Although cupping has been used for over 2,000 years, the effectiveness of cupping has not been well documented. There are various reasons, including having a hard time getting large enough sample sizes. Furthermore, blind studies and avoiding assessment bias also make it difficult.

Acupuncture

The last piece to my physical therapy sessions included acupuncture. The Balance Point Therapy clinic uses an Integrative Sports Acupuncture technique to help improve recovery time, reduce pain and improve neuromuscular activation. Neuromuscular refers to how the nervous system (neural) and muscular system (muscular) talk to each other.

Acupuncture is an ancient practice of inserting tiny needles at pressure points in the body. It may look painful, but it doesn’t hurt at all. In the hands of a skilled professional, you won’t feel the needle poke one bit. Acupuncture, referred to as Eastern or Oriental Medicine practice, originated in Asia. Originally, it was not based on literature but rather on belief in “qi” (pronounced chi like in cheese). It’s believed that the body’s qi is a life-giving force, and when blocked, illness manifests. Acupuncture restores the body’s qi by removing the blockages and restoring balance. This therapy is commonly used in integrative medicine clinics as part of a whole person healing approach.

When it comes to research on healing, there are studies that show acupuncture aids in the healing of injuries including chronic pain, anxiety, headaches, and osteoarthritis (1-6). Some people experience pain at the injection site, bruising, and some bleeding, but many experience minimal side effects.

Vibration Stimulation Massage Therapy

Vibration stimulation is a massage technique done by a therapist or a device. The point is to create a vibration or shaking motion onto the muscles. This can be done slowly and lightly, which relaxes the muscles and feels soothing, or at a faster speed to increase circulation and loosen soft tissues. Either way, the the vibration helps to relax muscles, increase blood flow and prevent delayed onset muscle soreness (1). It also provides stimulation to muscle spindles and decreases perception of pain. The stimulation isn’t always applied directly to the painful area, but also above, below or around it.

We know blood flow and muscle oxygenation are closely related. When healing remedies are targeted to increase blood flow, we also get more oxygen and nutrient delivery to those tissues. When exercising and weight training with heavy weights, the body automatically sends more blood to the muscles being stimulated because of increased demand for oxygen (2). For my hamstring, I intentionally engaged in movement and exercise, but not to the point of pain.

Intravenous Glutathione

Next, I used Intravenous (IV) Glutathione therapy. Glutathione is a molecule produced by the body. Three amino acids make it up: glycine, cysteine, and glutamic acid. So, with a good diet, we produce this ourselves. Now, genetics and a few other factors come into play there, but we’ll keep it basic for this blog. Glutathione, referred to as the “mother antioxidant,” is responsible for many functions in the body regarding cellular heath and immunity. It plays a role in many metabolic pathways, neutralizes free radicals and recycles/regenerates antioxidants (1).

Glutathione is used up faster during times of stress. Stressors include infections, a #hustle lifestyle, inflammation, an unhealthy diet and an acute injury. During the hamstring healing process, my body used more glutathione. There are no foods naturally high in glutathione since the body makes it itself, so in this case, supplementation and amino acid support is ideal.

Bonus Tip:

Through no fault of our own, glutathione levels also naturally decrease with age (2). Additionally, studies show a glutathione deficiency plays a role in oxidative stress, aging, and the development of diseases such as autism, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, liver disease, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, HIV, AIDS, cancer, heart attack, stroke, and diabetes (3,5).

Glutathione supplementation is effective in: (3, 4)

Boosting immunity
Cancer protection
Detoxification of toxins
Healing at a cellular level

Read more about supplementation methods here. I chose IV supplementation for glutathione for faster delivery to my system. I also know exactly what and how much I’m getting. There are oral glutathione supplements out there, but some studies have shown they are not as bioavailable or absorbable as IV supplementation (1).

Many store-bought glutathione products just break down into the amino acids upon digestion, which misses the point of supplementing. You want something that passes through the digestion process like IV or liposomal glutathione. DO NOT supplement with glutathione on a whim. With any type of supplementation, it comes down to the individual: How much do you need? Do you even need to supplement? For how long? These are all questions for a qualified healthcare provider. My advice is to avoid pop-shops where you don’t know what you’re getting. Stick with trained professionals.

My Progress with these Healing Remedies

There you have it! This protocol added up to about three hours of therapy per day. I did this routine for six weeks. These healing remedies worked, and they’ve worked quickly! These videos show various stages of my progress.

All of these treatments combined promote repair by increasing oxygenation, increasing blood flow and providing essential nutrients to the tissues (via diet, supplements and IV treatments).

My best advice if you choose to use natural healing remedies:

Get a doctor who will work with you.
Investigate all of your options and make a decision that’s best for you and your situation.
Choose the healing remedies that have the biggest impact, are accessible and affordable for you.
Regardless of what route you take, nourish yourself with real, nutrient dense food and get lots of good sleep!
Keep a positive attitude. Setbacks are part of life. Focus on what you’re grateful for!

Happy healing to you!

~Chalene

To learn additional natural healing remedies for weight loss resistance, hormonal imbalance, leaky gut and so much more, visit the 131 Method

Resources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3445245/

HBOT Resources:

HGH & Testosterone Resources

Sauna Resources:

Dry Needling Resources:

Cupping Resources:

Acupuncture Resources:

Vibration Stimulation Resources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3939523/
Brooks GA, Fahey TD, Baldwin KM. Exercise Physiology: Human Bioenergetics and Its Applications. 4th ed. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill;; 2005.

Glutathione Resources: