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Amazing Arnica
by Laura

Ryan had a killer stiff neck recently, and nothing was helping - we tried heat, ice packs, Tylenol, Advil, even massage. The pain and stiffness seemed to get worse, rather than better, with each attempted "cure." In desperation, we resorted to an herbal remedy - a topical crème containing the herb Arnica.

I had never even heard of this herb a few years ago. A friend of mine recommended that I give it a try after I badly bruised (possibly even fractured?) my baby toe. (One of those stupid fluke accidents involving an ill-placed ottoman.) The poor appendage was totally black and blue, and wearing shoes was next to impossible. So my friend told me I should head down to the local Sun Harvest (natural grocery store) and pick up a tube of Arnica crème. It’s a powerful remedy for bruises and swelling, she told me. Whatever. I’d try anything by that point.

The next day, I could put weight on my whole foot for the first time since I’d bruised my toe. The swelling had gone down, and the bright blue-black color had even faded a bit. One day more, and I was feeling like new again (although it took a little while longer for the bruise to completely disappear).

Remembering that dramatic effect, I suggested Ryan try Arnica crème on his neck - it wasn’t bruised, but it was obviously a strained muscle, so maybe it would work. Voila! The next day the stiffness had become manageable and his range of motion improved considerably. One more night and he was back to normal - amazing. I had to find out more about this potent little herb.

Turns out, Arnica has been used to reduce swelling and bruising for years, especially in Europe. In the US, the little yellow flowers of this plant are used, rather than the roots; supposedly the flowers are more potent.

Wholehealthmd.com reports that "One of arnica's primary components, helenalin, also has a strong anti-edemic (anti-swelling) effect. Given these qualities, it's little surprise that traditional healers recommend applying a cold compress soaked in tincture of arnica to reduce bruising."

Clinical trials have proved little about the effectiveness of the herb, but from our experience, it’s totally awesome - and far safer than OD’ing on Aleve due to the pain of having pulled a muscle or really knocked yourself on a bruise. In fact, the information I found suggested that this herb is pretty darn safe, as long as it is used as a topical treatment only (it can be poisonous - or at least quite unpleasant - when ingested internally), and used in a sensible way.

What’s sensible? Here are some tips from Wholehealthmd.com: