arnica and traumeel

/
 
1199421_set.jpeg

HOMEOPATHIC ARNICA MONTANA & TRAUMEEL by Heel  

Next in line for the Green First Aid kit is an especially safe and simple remedy for bruises, sprains and strains. Arnica Montana and Traumeel are homeopathics and while not the same because Arnica is a single source remedy and Traumeel is a combination containing Arnica, I find myself and patients using one or the other interchangeably. You can try both, use both and find your favorite.

Arnica Montana (Latin name) is a bright yellow daisy-like flowering perennial that grows one to two feet and found in the grassy upland meadows in the hills and mountains of the American northwest, north and central Europe and Siberia. Common names for the plant are Mountain daisy, Leopard’s bane and Mountain tobacco. If ingested at full strength it is toxic but when used homeopathically in its ointment, gel or cream form or taken internally in pellet form it is completely safe. Homeopathic remedies are extreme dilutions of therapeutic substances (plant, animal or mineral) that will relieve the symptoms they cause at full strength. An example would be coffee bean. As a homeopathic dilution, it will relieve the nervousness it causes in that cup of espresso! Read more about preparing a homeopathic remedy here.

41136964-260x260-0-0_Boiron+Boiron+Arnica+Cream+1+Oz+Cream.jpg

St. Hildegard, the 12th century German Benedictine nun, was the first to record information about the healing properties of Arnica Montana. By the 16th century, it was a known herbal remedy for bruising and aching muscles.

Today American athletes use homeopathic Arnica Montana to relieve sore and aching muscles. Reconstructive and cosmetic surgeons prescribe it to relieve post-procedure pain and to reduce bruising and discoloration. Parents confidently use it to stop pain and bruising when little ones bump and tumble.

Traumeel is a homeopathic combination with 14 active ingredients: Aconitum napellus, Arnica Montana, Belladonna, Bellis perennis. Calendula officinalis, Chamomilla, Echinacea, Echinacea purpurea, Hamamelis virginiana, Hepar sulphuris calcareum, Hypericum perforatum, Mercurius solubilis, Millefolium, Symphytum officinale, whose main functions are to relieve overall minor pain and to soothe, reduce and relieve muscle, joint and back pains & soreness. 

Both Arnica and Traumeel can be taken internally in tablet/pellet/drop form that dissolve under the tongue or applied externally/topically to the skin as gel/cream/ointment. 

How to take or use? Here are some guidelines...

For minor injuries, topical is the way to go applied locally . The ointment or cream is odorless. Its smooth texture makes it great for massaging into the skin. The gel is clear and non-greasy - the preferred choice for the active and athletic. 

If symptoms are severe or more generalized, take your dose internally. Pellets and tablets have no alcohol; drops have no sugar.

Don't be confused by the numbers representing dilutions on the labels when choosing an oral remedy.  You want to choose 30X and/or 30C. Both are right for your first aid kit. Use the higher dilution (also higher potency) 30C immediately at the time of injury or trauma. Use 30X for acute or chronic conditions. Let’s say you didn’t or couldn’t take a dose of Arnica right away. A day or two later, take 30C or 30X if the bump turns into a purple bruise. If after several weeks there is still bruising, take 30X to resolve the remaining discoloration.

Any time you are injured, use the RICE method (Rest-Ice-Compression-Elevation) for 20 minutes before you apply Arnica or Traumeel to the skin, as long as skin is unbroken. Take pellets or tablets right away. Before applying ice again or heat later, be sure the applied cream or gel is fully absorbed and that you no longer feel it on the skin.

Traumeel and Arnica Montana have no side effects. They are safe for use for children, adults, pregnant women and seniors. Very rarely someone may have a slight allergic reaction (redness or itching) to one form or another topically. Homeopathic medicines like and including Arnica have been regulated as drugs by the FDA since 1938 and manufactured according to the guidelines in the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States. There are no reported drug interactions and both are safe when other medications are prescribed and required.

 

Check out some interesting research:

  • “Traumeel – an emerging option to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the management of acute musculoskeletal injuries”

  • http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3085232/