 I suffer really badly with bruising. Even just a little dink on the leg gives me a massive black/blue bruise. Does anyone else have this problem ? Am I lacking in some vitamin/mineral that could help because although I don't care what it looks like when on my bike, it doesn't look nice in the office with bare legs and summer skirts (I wish with this weather!) Any advice would be appreciated. CJ
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| Edited: 01/06/06 09:07 |
I used Arnica on my face when I had my wisdom teeth out, and I didn't get the black and blue bruising everyone said I would .. so it might be worth a try for your legs. You get cream and also tablets.
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 If you bruise REALLY easily it might be worth going to your doctors. My sisters legs used to be covered in bruises and she was never sure how she did it. Turns out she's got a medical condition which causes it. Its nothing serious but she has to make sure any doctors, dentists etc are aware of it and would need to take some medication for a couple of weeks before any surgery etc.
Otherwise try arnica - you can get creams from Boots. I've found it seems to make the bruise look slightly worse at the time but go away much quicker, if that makes sense.
fi
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Thank you girls for your suggestions. I think I will start bathing in
arnica:-) ...
a friend of mine actually gave me a little pill of it to stop the shakes at the weekend so it seems like a good thing to use generally.
I still wonder if I am lacking in some vitamin/mineral but will probably never know, might go to docs for a chat.
if anyone does know more about the vitamin thing I would really appreciate hearing. CJ
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Done a quick search relating to bruising and vitamins and came up with this:
Vitamin: VITAMIN C (ascorbic acid)
Natural food sources:
Tomatoes, acerola cherries, sprouted alfalfa seeds, peppers, citrus fruits, papaya, potatoes, cantaloupe, broccoli, strawberries, chillies.
Vitamin Deficiency Symptoms:
Muscular weaknesses, anaemia, appetite loss, skin haemorrhages, swollen joints, slow healing wounds & fractures, bleeding gums, easy bruising, low resistance to infections
Health benefits:
Healthy teeth, gums, bones; strengthens blood vessels; increased absorption of iron; resistance to infections
Guess you could try the two - Arnica when needed and Vitamin C daily.
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Oh thank you so much. Will try getting more vitamin c in my diet and will take a pill too and see what happens. Will also get some arnica cream and lather up... thanks again girls. With summer coming I might be able to get the legs out after all. CJ
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 I always have a bunch of bruises I can't remember getting. I'm thinking it has a lot to do with my general lack of co-ordination...
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 AA gave me arnica after a fall and I miraculously had no bruising. I have a little vial of pillules now that I got at Boots. Interesting about the Vit C too...
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Arnica is fantastic - cream and tablets. Arnica is also great if you know you are going to get bruised or any sort of muscle pain through any treatment or v hard training as you can take it in advance as well with out any problems. CJ you might be able to take it long term but see a homeopath first.
If it is a longterm treatment eg before training use the 6C strength if it is for after a bruise has been received use 30C strength. It is also great for shock after a fall and the sooner you can take it the better effect it has. Take it every 1/2hr for the first 2 hrs and reduce the dose gradually for a day after a bad fall.
Cream is good as long at the skin is not broken.
My children and their friends have had 'magic tablets' after a fall since they were about a year, takes their mind off the fall and helps with the shock/tears. My son at a year had a nasty fall with cut on the forehead requiring stitches. Copious tablets and cream for the next few days ensured that swelling went down within a couple of hours and the scarring was much reduced and virtually no bruising.
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 With me it's not the bruises so much but all the scrapes and scratching because bare legs and gorse bushes don't mix!!
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Pluto -try Doctor Burt's Res-Q Ointment (from Burts Bees). This stuff is brilliant on scrapes, cuts, rashes, razor burn (well, it happens), nettle stings (which I just discovered) and kinda everything in general. :) It's all naturally stuff.
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 I bruise easily and I have friends who swear by Arnicea. But I wear leg armour for that reason as I was sick of constantly bruised shins, now they are just white !!
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 I bruise fantastically well too! I currently have lots of little bruises on my legs from practising trackstands - (badly) when bailing quickly from my SPDs, the pedals have bashed me several times, my legs look like they should belong to a Dalmation dog.
My Chiropractor told me that bruising easily is tied up with the fact that I have hypermobile joints, mainly my elbows and knees. Exactly how its related I don't know.
I use Arnica to speed up the healing sometimes but most of the time I just kind of accept that my legs are always a mess. I will be buying some armour for my summer hols I can't see me wearing it for general riding (unless my newly fitted flat pedals totally mangle my shins - three puncture wounds and counting).
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 I'd say definitely get some leg armour to wear on scarier rides. You won't feel as comfortable wearing it, but you soon get used to it. Plus you can just strap it to your bag and put it on for the descents. It's so worth having - especially if you ride on flat pedals. Oh and worth using if you're going to a wedding or something else fancy soon and want your legs to look like a girl's and not a teenage boy's!
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I go along with Sarah, leg armour is the way to go. No need for tablets and creams etc and they work really well on nettles and brambles too. You soon don't even notice you have them on.
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Hi girls, thought I would let you know I got some arnica pills and have increased my fruit & veg intake and my bruising is already getting better. thanks for the suggestions and it's interesting to read I am not alone.
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see my new post in chat re a wonder cream for bruising. CJ
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