Already a fan of Nature Rite’s Muscle Honey, was pleased to learn of their maximum strength herbal remedy product Bruise-Strain-Tear Repair and have the opportunity to test it on two challenging problems, an injured rotator cuff, and plantar fasciitis.
This formula contains some of the herbal ingredients in Muscle Honey along with three exclusive to this product, presumably selected to best target the listed indications of tennis elbow, plantar fasciitis, sprained ankles & wrists, bruises, broken bones, and post-surgical healing.
The herbal ingredients in the formula are comfrey and plantain to aid in tissue mending, Witch Hazel to relax muscle fibers and increase flexibility, Arnica Montana to support healing, White Willow Bark for pain relief, Rosemary and Thyme to increase circulation and Peppermint Leaf to cool and soothe. Other ingredients are carbomer for gelling, Optiphen as a preservative and TEA for pH adjustment.
The gel is medium bodied with a subtle, pleasant herbal fragrance that dissipates quickly after application. The gel is very easy to use, remaining moist while applying to even a large area and then drying in just a few moments without any sticky residue.
In my situation, the action of the ingredients Comfrey and Plantain became particularly interesting upon learning during the initial period of injury the liver secretes an enzyme that causes the activity of fibroblasts in the body increase to produce more collagen, the protein the body uses to repair soft tissue. Comfrey and Plantain produce the compound Allantoin, which is understood to stimulate the activity of the fibroblasts to continue producing collagen beyond the initial period of injury, after which time the fibroblasts ordinarily return to their pre-injury level of activity. As a result, soft tissue repair continues at an accelerated pace after the body’s initial jump start for as long as the Comfrey and Plantain-containing formula is applied. Arnica Montana supports the healing that has been set in motion by Comfrey and Plantain, as do the Rosemary and Thyme, stepping up circulation.
The balance of herbal ingredients contributes toward comfort while the healing takes place. Witch Hazel relaxes muscle fibers, Peppermint Leaf cools and soothes, and White Willow Bark directly reduces pain.
Nature’s Rite recommends applying the gel three times a day for 1 to 2 weeks in the case of minor bruises and three times a day for four weeks in the case of chronic or serious injury and to ingest vitamin A, C, D, and E to support the healing. An important note is to continue the regimen beyond the point of starting to experiencing pain relief and until healing is complete, which would generally be expected to follow the timetable as mentioned earlier.
My injuries fall into the category of chronic and/or serious. It was my experience with the formula that my foot felt welcome relaxation and pain relief from the first day, so I did appreciate the heads-up that pain relief likely would occur before the underlying issue had time to resolve due to the efficacy of the pain-relieving ingredients. Because of the caution to continue the program I avoided stopping Bruise-Strain-Tear Repair prematurely, only to have to start over with the likely return of pain, possibly losing momentum and prolonging the healing process. Nature’s Rite informs the product can cut days to weeks off the healing process and it only makes sense that the quickest route to healing is to follow the instructions in the first place.
As far as my shoulder, it will probably need surgical repair, but I find the product useful in that by relaxing the muscles involved and providing soothing pain relief to part of the affected area, it helps me carry out functions that I can’t avoid since the shoulder is the same side as my dominant hand. I was glad to learn that the product is also helpful during post-surgery healing, so I anticipate using it continuously for some time to come.
For both my foot and shoulder, a dime-size amount of gel on each covers the complete area to which I apply it. To give you an idea, for the shoulder I spread the gel from the base of the neck across the top of the shoulder, front and back of that area to about 3 inches depth and down the side of the arm 6 or 7 inches.
Though the main symptoms of the foot occur on the sole-heel to the ball of the foot, I also apply the gel on the top of the foot and between my toes, having learned from experience, this provides the most complete relief. The type of relief I’ve experienced is a noticeable soothing and relaxation of the muscles along with a lessening of pain to the point that I forget about the foot while going about my business, quite the opposite of the continuous consciousness of foot discomfort I’ve lived with for quite awhile.
I’m less than halfway through the recommended timeframe of four weeks of treatment and, so far, quite pleased with the results. As I mentioned, with my shoulder I would expect to be continuing beyond the four weeks and until surgery, followed by a post-surgical course of treatment with the gel. And I’m okay with that since now there’s light at the end of the tunnel, thanks to this very helpful, all natural approach.
Of course, it is always wise to check symptoms with your doctor to avoid masking a serious underlying issue, but, you might find this product a good alternative to many other topical products. Before using any product, read over the ingredient list and make sure that there are no conflicts with any medications or conditions you have.
Find this fantastic product at MyNaturesRite.com.
I received this product in exchange for my unbiased review and received compensation for my time and effort. However, my experience with the product and the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine.