I’M A BRUISER

A bruise is an injury appearing as an area of discolored skin on the body or face, caused by a blow or injection puncturing underlying blood vessels.

I’m a bruiser!  I always say Dr. Miller only has to do is look at me with a syringe and I bruise. When I get injections, it isn’t if I get a bruise but when, however, I have found a few things that help me cut down on the bruising time.

1. Stop taking medications and supplements with blood thinning effects 2 weeks prior to injections. For example:

• NSAID-Advil, Motrin, naproxen, ibuprofen
• Supplements- St. John’s Wort, garlic, turmeric, vitamin E,
• Chia seeds, ginkgo biloba, flaxseed oil and
• other oils high in omega 3
• Talk to your doctor before stopping any prescription medications.

2. Eliminate alcohol 24 hours before and after treatment.  Alcohol can cause those blood vessels to relax and open, which can trigger bruising.

3. Take Arnica and Bromelain before and after treatment. Arnica Montana is a perennial flowering plant and Bromelain is a pineapple extract that helps treat the swelling and bruising.  I usually start both the Arnica and Bromelain 3 days before and continue 4 days after injections.

4. Apply ice packs to the treated area during and after treatment. Risk of bruising and swelling can be reduced.

5. Avoid vigorous exercise for at 24 hours after treatment. Exercise will increase heart rate and blood flow which can cause more bruising at the injection site.

6. We can also laser the bruise! The laser can break up the hemoglobin which can help the bruise go away sooner.

Bruising with injections is always a factor, but these steps can help those bruises to go away more quickly and in some cases prevented.