Choosing the correct product to use depends upon the stage and type of injury:

Stage 1: For use as soon as possible after injury (within the first 24-36 hours). All these remedies reduce pain and inflammation quickly!

• Dit Da Jow Trauma Liniment - all kinds of bumps, bruises, strains, sprains, muscle pulls.
• San Huang San (Herbal Ice) - use in place of ice to reduce swelling and stimulate fast healing.
• Die Da Wan Trauma Pills - for those rare one-of-a-kind "I feel totally beat up" days or for more serious sprains, strains, and pulls that make you skip class for the next couple of days.

Stage 2: (2nd-3rd week) after inflammation is gone but it's still sore, perhaps stiff and/or not healing as quickly as you would like or expect. Do NOT use these if the area feels warm or hot.

• Tendon Lotion - sore tendons, ligaments, muscles due to sprains & strains that just don't seem to heal or for tears that simply require a longer healing period. Stimulates healing to the area. Lightly warming.
• Tendon Relaxing Soak - more potent than tendon lotion as the soak is more penetrating than the liniment.

Stage 3: (Chronic) this stage begins 3-4 weeks after the injury.
Swelling/inflamation are gone but stiffness & aching pain may remain. Minor injuries should be resolved by now. Injuries to tendons and ligaments can take longer to heal. This is a period where there is increased danger of re-injury as you wish to return to previous performance levels. This is the time to increase gentle range of motion exercises, take tonifying herb formulas and apply poultices/plasters that move the blood and strengthen sinews and bones. The injury may feel cold to the touch or feel more sensitive during cold & damp weather. Failure to treat and resolve injuries at this stage can lead to arthritic conditions.

• Tendon Lotion and U-I Oil - warming and effective when sinew injuries are aggravated by cold.
  Tendon Warming Soak - contains warming herbs that strongly increase local circulation and drive cold and damp out of injured tissue. Use it where the muscle or joint is stiff, painful, and sensitive to cold.
  
• Bone-knitting Powder - strengthens bones, ligaments, sinews; especially good for over-stretched ligaments due to excessive joint locks.
  
• 701 Medicated Plaster - One of the most warming plasters available.
  
• Red Flower Oil - Warming and soothing for old injuries.
  

More information about Chinese Herbal Sports Medicine can be found in Tom Bisio's book A TOOTH FROM THE TIGER'S MOUTH: How to Treat Your Injuries with Powerful Healing Secrets of the Great Chinese Warriors.

More information about Chinese Medicine and common herbal remedies can be found in the book Asian Health Secrets: The Complete Guide to Asian Herbal Medicine by Letha Hadady.