Arnica Oil: What and What Not to Use it For

I have had many experiences like this where I was getting sore, and then post arnica, I am not getting sore…

Arnica–I love this oil. I love having this oil in my home. It’s not one of the oils that I slop around in like some of my other oils. Arnica oil has very specific uses and let’s just say, when you need it, you need it.  

 

Me, making my arnica oil!

Let’s unpack a little bit about my experience with arnica infused oil and hopefully, there will be a story or something that resonates with you, or some way that you’ll be able to use it for someone that you love that you can help.

When to Use Arnica Infused Oil

Bruises, bumps, blows, sprains, strains and aching muscles, all of the wonderful things that I’ve seen arnica help with!

I use it as an external application for sprained ankles, sore wrists and knocked up knees. It is anti-inflammatory and can help to reduce swelling and bruising from injuries, falls, blows and trauma to the body where the skin is not broken.

You can use it on tendons, joints and muscles, to prevent swelling and to prevent the pain from getting worse. My quick answer for what arnica oil is for is: “Bruises and contusions, where the skin is not broken.”

Arnica oil dilates the blood vessels and stimulates circulation. What happens is you get good circulation in to and out of the bruised area, so it speeds up the healing process. It removes the congestion and stagnation, and helps the body do a quicker job at healing. It helps disperse stagnant, disorganized fluids in bruised and injured tissue.

I spent a year studying with Michael Moore and his book, Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West is one of my herbal bibles. Michael said that the primary uses for arnica has remained unchanged for centuries, it is used externally for bruises, hyperextension, bursitis and myalgia.

Michael also talked about a nuance of when to use arnica. He said that you know it is an arnica moment when your injury is aggravated by movement and helped with rest.

I also always keep in mind what the Eclectic herbalists say about using arnica. In his 1898 book, American Eclectic Materia Medica Therapeutics, John Scudder says arnica is used as an external application to injuries. “Where the soft parts are bruised, arnica has no superior.”

“Has no superior” That’s a pretty strong statement but I have to say, I have seen arnica live up to its reputation.

Arnica Moments

So, let’s talk a little about Arnica Moments. I might have enough stories to write a book, but here are a few!

You haven’t been hiking all winter, you go on that spring hike and mesmerized you think, “Oh, it’s so beautiful!” so you just keep hiking. Then you get home and the next day you’re like, “Oh My Gosh. Ow.”  Arnica Moment.

I grew up water skiing. My dad was a water skier. We had a boat. We live near a lake. That’s what we did on the weekends. Then I moved out of the house and didn’t ski for a couple of decades.  Then I went skiing one time. I thought, “Oh, yeah. I know how to do this, I got this.” The next day I couldn’t get out of bed. I definitely couldn’t walk.  Arnica Moment. 

That first warm spring day and you get into your garden and you squat for longer than you have for months. The next morning you realize, Arnica Moment.

Or when was the last time you helped a friend move? And since you work harder for a friend than you would yourself, you definitely wake up with an Arnica Moment.

I love to dance and one of my favorite things to do is to go to dance camps, where we dance every day for hours. SO many times, at dance camp, I’ve gone to bed thinking, “I am going to pay for this, I’m going to be so sore,” and then I use my arnica oil and presto, I am not sore. I have had many experiences like this where I was getting sore, and then post arnica, I am not getting sore…

Now you feel it, now you don’t!

Do you ever run into the corner of a desk or jam your toe on the door? Arnica Moments.

Or you can plan your arnica moment. One of my students is on a women’s volleyball team and she swears by arnica oil. She uses it before and after every game as a sports massage oil. She uses it the day before. She uses it the morning of. She uses it afterwards. She uses it the next day. She swears by that. If she doesn’t use her arnica oil, she says that she is in so much more pain than when she doesn’t use arnica.

Anyway, you can see why it is so easy to amass, lots of Arnica Moment stories!

I could keep going, but let’s talk a little bit about when not to use arnica. 

When Not to Use Arnica

• Arnica is contraindicated on open skin. You don’t use it where the skin is open. You also don’t use it in the places where the inside of your body meets the outside of your skin.  Like near your eyes, your nose, you know, orifices.    
• This herb is in the Asteraceae family; the same family as daisy, chamomile and ragweed’s. If you have an allergy to any of those plants, you may not want to use arnica. 
• This is one of the herbs that I don’t use long term. It’s for when you need it. For some people longer term use will irritate their skin. I like to think of using it for 2 weeks at a time. However, everyone is different and if you feel any irritation or notice any redness then stop using arnica.
• This plant is for external use only. It’s not a salad dressing oil.
• Avoid using it on tender skin. I don’t use it with children under 7 years old.
• If it causes any kind of redness, itchiness or any kind of inflammation on your skin, then it’s not the right remedy
• Pregnancy and lactation

There are 2 books that I use to check for safety

1. American Herbal Products Association’s Botanical Safety Handbook
2. The Essential Guide to Herbal Safety by Simon Mills and Kerry Bone

These books talk about internal use of arnica being contraindicated in pregnancy and lactation and they don’t have conclusive data about using it topically. So, what I do is with pregnancy and lactation, I use calendula instead of arnica.

Arnica is used in so many herbal traditions for sprains and bruises for a reason. Again, what I have heard over and over through the years is people talk about that feeling of, “Wow! I was getting sore, but now I’m not.” It truly is an amazing herbal oil to have on hand.

I’m so glad that you are here reclaiming this civic art of home herbal care and learning how to build an effective home wellness tool kit.

As you might have noticed, I like talking about Arnica Moments… let me know if you’ve got any and how arnica oil has helped you!