Effective Herbal Therapy for Recovering from Sports Hernia Surgery

It is common for athletes to be particular about what they put into their bodies. Many of my patients prefer to avoid narcotics to control pain and promote healing post sports hernia surgery. Recovery without prescription medications is possible using a herbal approach, which does not compromise an athlete’s dedication to an all-natural or organic diet.

After surgery, most surgeons prescribe strong pain medication such as Vicodin or Percocet. These narcotics help to reduce pain, but come with significant side effects. Patients commonly report a “brain fog” or feelings of confusion. Some even experience serious hallucinations. More often, nausea and obstipation (severe constipation) can be side effects of strong painkillers.

In addition to their side effects, these medicines only help to cover up the pain, not treat its underlying causes. To treat the source of pain, herbal treatments can be more effective. I have been working with recovering sports hernia patients for years, and I’ve seen firsthand the positive impact that herbal treatments have without the side effects of narcotic pain meds. I strongly recommend including these in your postoperative plan. They can greatly decrease the need for narcotics, and will help your body heal more naturally, which is the preferable way for many of my patients.

I recommend the following course of herbal treatments to my patients after sports hernia surgery. It was originally developed by Dr. Shirin Towfigh at the Beverly Hills Hernia Center. The protocol below will help manage pain and promote recovery from sports hernia repair surgery.

Three days before your surgery:

  • Arnica Montana, 12C – Derived from a flowering herb found in central Europe, it reduces inflammation and bruising. Take five sublingual pellets three times a day.
  • Bromelain, 500 mg – This can help reduce inflammation and swelling, and is derived from the stems of pineapples. Take one tablet twice a day with a meal.

Starting 12 hours after your surgery:

  • Arnica Montana, 12C – Take five sublingual pellets three times a day.
  • Alpha Lipoic Acid, 300 mg – This treatment can be effective in reducing nerve pain. It is difficult to extract from natural sources, so it is usually chemically synthesized. Take one capsule once a day.
  • Bromelain, 500 mg – Take one tablet twice per day.
  • Ginger Root, 500 mg – Especially effective in preventing nausea, it can also help reduce inflammation. It is harvested from the rhizomes of the tropical plant. Take one capsule twice a day.
  • Super B-Complex – This treatment helps reduce nerve pain. Take one tablet daily.
  • Turmeric, 500 mg – Turmeric is also harvested from the rhizomes of a plant grown in southern Asia. It helps the body reduce inflammation and decreases nerve pain. Take three tablets once a day or in divided doses.

Download a PDF version of this herbal therapy for quick reference. As always, get in touch with me should you have questions on your post sports hernia surgery recovery.