Index
Arnica is a medicinal plant that has bright green leaves with fleshy and hairy stems. Its flowers are yellow and somewhat resemble the daisy . The plant is also known as wild arnica, golden ear, lancet herb, mountain arnica, mountain arnica, mountain tobacco, mountain tobacco.
The genus arnica has 30 species spread, but the most used for its anti-inflammatory benefits are Arnica montana and Arnica chamissonis . It belongs to the Asteraceae family. The parts that are used for treatments are the flowers, leaves and roots, both as an extract for homeopathic preparations and in the raw form to make tincture for ointments or gel.
Ingesting arnica by mouth is not indicated and can have serious side effects, only homeopathic medications, of the Arnicamontana species, are not harmful for using very diluted arnica.
Benefits of Arnica
Arnica has many healing properties, which have been known for centuries and are also used in modern medicines. The leaves of the plant have anti-inflammatory properties and action to fight pain in its topical use.
Therefore, arnica is highly recommended as a pain reliever for general injuries, muscle and joint contusions and headaches . It is also healing and acts in the prevention of bleeding. It also has antiseptic, tonic and stimulating action.
Uses of Arnica
Arnica is found in the formulation of many cosmetics and other types of products, especially for skin or hair, such as shampoos, conditioners and ointments . That’s because it contains helenaline, flavonoids, coumarins, volatile oils, carbonic acid, among other components that are beneficial for the skin.
These components help to calm and renew your cells after exposure to stress. In addition, it prevents the development of inflammatory skin diseases , as it can be antiseptic, antibacterial and fungicidal.
It can be used in mild burns. For hair, it helps to prevent falls and dandruff. Some mothers after pregnancy use arnica gel to reduce the appearance of stretch marks on the belly, applying it 4 times a day.
Caution: Topical use of arnica should not be applied directly to open wounds or shaved skin.
Homeopathy
As a homeopathy, the arnica montana species is used in the prevention of preoperative and even in orthodontic surgery treatments, or other small outpatient and postoperative surgeries. Its use is also sometimes prescribed by veterinarians. The remedy is made from the extract of its flowers, dark brown in color.
In practice, arnica improves coronary blood flow by helping the body to reabsorb fibrin, a very important blood protein that is often deficient in the person who has just suffered internal damage.
Thus, arnica can be part of the treatment of people, in addition to the situation of surgery, with trauma resulting from exposure to violence or in a state of shock, whether due to disasters, death or terror. Other diagnoses where homeopathic arnica is used are nausea and dizziness at sea, epilepsy, laryngitis, phlebitis, chilblains or varicose veins .
External Use of Arnica
Arnica gel at a concentration of 50% has the same anti-inflammatory effect as other chemically manufactured gels, for the treatment of osteoarthritis symptoms . It is advantageous to use a more natural product based on arnica in the following cases:
Indications for External Use
- Hematomas;
- Abrasions;
- Twists;
- Boils;
- Bruises;
- Edemas (swelling) in the muscles and joints;
- Inflammation of the oropharynx region;
- Insect bites or stings;
- Phlebitis in superficial burn;
In addition to the ready-made arnica or gel ointments, arnica can be used in compresses and macerates. Arnica also stimulates blood circulation in the area where the application is made, causing a mild feeling of warmth on the skin.
How to Make Arnica Dye for Outdoor Use
Those who prefer to buy dried arnica flowers and leaves can make arnica tincture at home . Sometimes you can get these flowers from health food stores.
How to do it : With a spoonful of flowers and dry leaves, prepare a decoction, which consists of a tea, boiled for 5 minutes and drowned out for a few more minutes. You can also prepare a tincture with 10 g of dry leaves in 100 ml of alcohol for topical products.
The liquid should be left to stand for 5 days in a dark place and covered. Then, to make the compresses, for each part of the solution, 4 parts of water should be added, diluting and applying to the painful areas.
Contraindicações from Arnica
We cannot eat arnica because the plant contains helenaline, which, despite its anti-inflammatory properties, can be poisonous and cause poisoning if ingested . Thus, the patient may develop severe gastroenteritis even with bleeding in the digestive system and kidneys.
Have direct contact with the plant is also dangerous , because it causes skin irritation. Even when applying the compresses directly to the skin, it should be used with care and moderation, without prolonging the treatment too much, so as not to irritate the injured area any more. Use by pregnant women, infants or people with sensitivity to arnica is not indicated.
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My name is Dr. Alexis Hart I am 38 years old, I am the mother of 3 beautiful children! Different ages, different phases 16 years, 12 years and 7 years. In love with motherhood since always, I found it difficult to make my dreams come true, and also some more after I was already a mother.
Since I imagined myself as a mother, in my thoughts everything seemed to be much easier and simpler than it really was, I expected to get pregnant as soon as I wished, but it wasn’t that simple. The first pregnancy was smooth, but my daughter’s birth was very troubled. Joana was born in 2002 with a weight of 2930kg and 45cm, from a very peaceful cesarean delivery but she had already been born with congenital pneumonia due to a broken bag not treated with antibiotics even before delivery.
