The Versatile Arnica Montana

Arnica montana, also known as Mountain Tobacco, Leopard’s Bane, and Wolf’s Bane, is a beautiful yellow flower that has many uses as an herbal medicine. A. montana is native to Europe and can be found in most countries on that continent. When the plant is flowered, the whole plant is used in some way. Someone who wants to use A. montana must be very careful. The use of a highly concentrated dose will be fatal. The user must follow all directions on the packaging of this product.

Uses of Arnica Montana

The practitioners of herbal medicine use an infusion of the A. montana leaf to treat sprains, bruises, muscle aches, emotional and physical shock, and to help relieve the long term effects of trauma. Do not use on an open sore because it will cause irritation. A. montana can treat alopecia(hair loss) when applied as a cream or a diluted tincture. Its ability to help re-grow hair varies from person to person. A tincture can be used to treat epilepsy and seasickness. In seasickness it should be taken, in tablet form, three times before boarding a boat and once more every hour after that until the patient is comfortable. When used to treat bruises and muscle aches it is usually found in a gel and is applied three times a day to the affected area. Most people find the relief to be close to that of ibuprofen. It has been used after cosmetic surgery to reduce the pain and swelling. It is occasionally used to treat acne. That could be because of the anti-bacterial effects of the plant.

Summary

This herb has many uses as a topical treatment. Some of these uses are to stimulate the re-growth of hair, treat bruises and muscle aches, and acne. These topical uses are widely known and commonly used. Germany alone has over one hundred products that contain Arnica. Arnica montana has been used internally for the treatment of many ailments, but the downside of ingestion out weighs the gains. A. montana can cause diarrhea, upset stomach, irregular heartbeat, and death when used improperly ingested. In medieval times it was used as an assassination tool. It is just like a Venus flytrap. It is a beautiful flower that has many uses, but is deadly to some. When care is used Arnica montana is a very helpful herbal medicine.

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