Use the Arnica Plant as a Pain Reliever

Arnica is a plant that belongs to the sunflower family also known as "Mountain Tobacco" and "leopard's bane". The parts used are the roots and flowers.

It has been used since the 1500s for medicinal purposes and can be bought in various forms from your local health store. It comes in various forms such as ointment, oil, tincture, pill, cream and even in an injectible form. It can also be found as an herbal or homeopathic remedy. In this review, I will be discussing the homeopathic ointment, as this is the form that I buy and use regularly.

Because of muscle problems, I have been suffering from headaches for the past ten years. I would try not to take pain medication too often due to side effect concerns. About a year ago, I decided to try the Arnica ointment by Boiron in search of relief. I rubbed it on the back of my head where the pain was and surprisingly, about five to ten minutes later the headache was gone. I did not expect it work that fast or that well. From the research I have done on the herb, I have learned that among its many properties it is also anti-inflammatory which is what helps to improve circulation to the affected area resulting in pain relief. I have not used pain medicine ever since. It is also a relief knowing that I am not putting chemicals in my body and risk having kidney problems, heart disease, or other serious side effects.

Although Arnica is safe to use topically, caution needs to be exercised when taken orally. Only very small homeopathic dosages should be taken to avoid toxicity. I personally recommend seeing a naturopath if you feel you need to take it internally.

Where do I buy Arnica ointment? I buy it at my local Whole Foods Market but I am sure that it can also be found in most local health stores as mentioned earlier. It is reasonably priced. I believe I paid about seven dollars or less for a 1 oz. tube. It has been over a year since I bought it so it lasts quite a while. What you decide to take or use for pain relief is your own personal decision but if you want a natural product that works well and fast, I would recommend Arnica ointment as I have personally had success with it. Then you too will be able to say, "you'll be glad you did."