Arnica Montana – Mountain Arnica or Mountain Tobacco

Arnica Montana – Mountain Arnica or Mountain Tobacco

Arnica montana has been copiously harvested for years, due to its healing abilities.

This perennial herb grows in the mountains and lowland marshes of North America and Europe.

The name Arnica is derived from the Greek word ‘arni’ which means lamb. The leaves on the arnica plant are soft, just like a lamb.

This herb looks like a daisy and the flower part of the herb is generally used for medicinal purposes. Although the common name is Mountain Arnica or Mountain Tobacco, it is also referred to as a “mountain daisy” because of its appearance.

The flowers are dried and when dried properly, can also be served as an herbal tea.

Popular Homeopathic Remedy

Many homeopathic remedies may sound foreign to you; however, Arnica is one of the most popular homeopathic remedies. It is extremely well-known for healing bruises.

Arnica Cream for Bruises, Swelling and Trauma Injuries

Arnica montana is usually used as a lotion or cream and made especially for bruises and trauma spots caused by falls or injuries.

If you experience bruising, it is because the blood vessels under the skin have burst and the blood is what you can see under the skin. Bruises will dissipate eventually as the body heals the broken blood vessels and essentially breaks down the ‘blood spot’, however, you can speed up the healing process by using Arnica cream.

The cream helps promote the healing of the broken blood vessels faster. Although Arnica cream or lotion are usually used, Arnica tablets are also available.

Natural Anti-Inflammatory for Arthritis and Joint Pain

Arnica is a natural ant-inflammatory and relieves arthritic and joint pain. The arnica cream helps the blood circulation which provides many benefits to arthritic sufferers. The circulation allows the new blood cells to help heal the painful areas and helps remove excess fluids surrounding the joints, which cause the build-up of pain.

Arnica cream is recommended as a natural treatment to replace the traditional over-the-counter NSAID medications and anti-inflammatory creams.

One study showed that Arnica montana cream, applied at a 50% concentration, was comparable to that of a 5% anti-inflammatory gel (ibuprofen), for relieving the painful symptoms of osteoarthritis in the hand.

Arnica for Muscle Soreness

Many athletes keep Arnica cream on hand as it helps ease and soothe sore muscles. If you exercise regularly you may find that rubbing Arnica cream on after exercise will prove to be very beneficial as it reduces muscle strain.

It can also relieve muscle soreness from everyday wear and tear.

Treating Skin Conditions

Arnica montana is also used by homeopaths for treating certain skin conditions. People suffering with acne and boils have benefited from arnica use. It helps relieve inflammation of the skin. It’s also helpful for its anti-bacterial properties in treating abrasions.

Other skin conditions include scalp problems such as dandruff, and arnica can quite often be found as one of the active ingredients in anti-dandruff shampoos and other hair preparations.

As you can see Arnica is a very useful natural remedy to have on hand, so make sure you have a jar or tube in your medicine cupboard for treating your next bruise, painful joint, trauma injury, swelling or sore muscle!