Pain is something that affects all of us. An illness, injury or other physical condition can cause it. It can even come from emotional sources like stress, loneliness or fear. However, the pain relieving abilities of arnica oil are best suited to treating soft tissues like your muscles.
Unfortunately, some pain medications are addictive. That’s what makes arnica such a useful herb. People have used it for centuries to provide relief from a variety of symptoms. It relieves muscle aches and strains effectively with no risk of addiction.
Fortunately, arnica has become an accessible pain reliever over the past several years. It’s also affordable.
Where Does Arnica Come From?
Arnica is a natural pain reliever that comes from a plant called arnica montana. A similar plant native to Mexico, heterotheca inuloides, substitutes effectively as an arnica montana replacement.
How Much Pain Relief Can You Expect?
The most common way to produce arnica pain relievers is to infuse dry arnica flowers in oil. Formulas should contain at least 12.5% dry arnica to 87.5% oil to be effective. A concentration of 25% herb to 75% oil offers more pain relief.
However, more of a good thing isn’t always the best. Arnica essential oil is potentially toxic.
Some people don’t respond to arnica, so there is the possibility you won’t experience any pain relief. Or you may find the pain returns quickly. If using a stronger arnica formula doesn’t relieve pain for at least an hour, then it may not be the best treatment for your type of pain.
How to Use Pain Relieving Arnica?
You can apply arnica oil topically to the skin, consume the herb in capsule form or take it as a tea. The topical application provides fast relief for muscle aches and joint issues, while oral consumption may take up to two hours before it starts working.
If you want to take arnica orally, do so under a physician or trained naturopath’s direction. Using too much arnica could cause dizziness, termors and heart irregularities, and even death.
Additional Benefits of Using Arnica
Besides being an effective pain reliever, anecdotal evidence suggests arnica is good for:
- Reducing inflammation
- Helping support the skin’s elasticity
The benefits of arnica are vast, but there are some precautions you should be aware of before using it:
- Arnica may cause an allergic reaction in people with ragweed allergies.
- You should not apply it topically when pregnant or breastfeeding.
- Arnica products should not come into contact with mucous membranes.
- You should never apply arnica-containing products to broken skin.
We offer four arnica-rich lotions.
- Our original arnica lotion contains the following. A blend of arnica-infused olive oil and peppermint, rosemary, clary sage, juniper berry and vetiver essential oils.
- Our arnica-lavender lotion contains the following. A blend of arnica-infused olive oil and lavender and rose geranium essential oils.
- Our arnica-hemp lotion includes the following. THC-free CBD isolate in addition to the blend of arnica-infused olive oil and peppermint, rosemary, clary sage, juniper berry and vetiver essential oils.
- Our arnica lavender hemp lotion includes the following. THC-free CBD isolate in addition to the blend of arnica-infused olive oil and lavender and rose geranium essential oils.
