Arnica-the natural pain relief herb.

Arnica! What a wonderful herb! Have you heard of it? I'm always surprised by how many people have never heard of it or used it. It's such an amazing herb.
First off, I'm going to share what it looks like. It's in the daisy/sunflower family, scientifically called the Asteraceae or Compositae family. Arnica's scientific name is Arnica montana. It's flowers are yellow-orange resembling the sun's rays surrounding a disk of tubular flowers in the center, much like a sunflower or a daisy. It tends to flower in mid-summer. Here's a picture of the infamous arnica plant. Beautiful, isn't it?

Now that you know what it looks like, let's talk about the benefits! "In Germany, more than 100 drug preparations contain arnica." (Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs) Arnica is known to relieve pain and reduces inflammation of sprains and bruises. A salve made from arnica helps relax stiff muscles. It is a wonderful natural remedy for people with arthritis, pre/post work out, stiff muscles and bruises. In 1820, arnica was officially added to the U.S. Pharmacopoeia and is listed in the the U.S. Dispensatory. What a wonderful NATURAL remedy we have at our fingertips! 

Now, there are a few ways you can get your hands on some of this awesome, pain relieving herb! You can make a salve yourself by purchasing arnica oil and organic beeswax or soy wax. Add some pain relieving essential oils such as lavender, eucalyptus and cypress and you've got yourself a pretty awesome salve ready to rub on your sore muscles! Stay tuned for a future blog with a recipe and step by step process of making a wonderful salve for you and your family. You can purchase or view arnica oil here. You can even make your own arnica oil by buying dried arnica flowers (or drying your own) and infusing it in olive oil. Dried arnica flowers can be viewed and/or purchased here. You can also purchase an already made arnica salve! I highly recommend Neal's Yard Remedies Organic Arnica Salve. As a Massage Therapist, this has been one of my best sellers for my clients as a take home remedy. It's been wonderful for my clients that are into cross fit, clients that have arthritis, clients that are accident prone and clients with aching feet at the end of their day. It truly is an amazing product! 

Purchase it here!

You'll surely fall in love with arnica and it's many benefits. Be sure to subscribe to my blog as I'll be posting more about herbs and recipes you can make with them! 

Peace.