Arnica is an herbaceous plant with yellow or orange flowers that grows as a perennial. While arnica has medicinal uses, it also contains a toxin that can make it poisonous when used incorrectly. The flower heads offer medicinal value when used fresh or dried.
The most common way to use arnica is in a topical form as a pain reliever. You can find it in topical creams, gels, ointments, roll-ons and tinctures that are formulated to go onto the skin. Some packaging touts the inclusion of arnica. Other topical pain relievers use arnica as an ingredient without focusing on the herb in the marketing. It typically has an effect similar to topical NSAIDS or ibuprofen.
Some people use arnica in extremely diluted doses in homeopathic preparations taken orally. However, the toxicity of the herb makes this a potential risk to your health. Since arnica falls under the supplement category, the regulations aren't as strict, which means the dosages could be different from one arnica product to the next.
Arnica is commonly used to relieve pain and swelling, which makes it popular for helping with arthritis in older adults. You might also use it for other cases of pain, swelling and bruising. For instance, you might apply a topical arnica product on your skin to reduce swelling after you have surgery or an injury. Some people also use it to promote the healing of wounds or to reduce swelling from bug bites.
Tablets and pills containing very small amounts of arnica are sometimes taken orally. They may also help relieve pain and swelling, as well as diabetic eye damage.
While arnica is generally safe for topical applications when used as directed, there's still a risk of having a negative reaction. Homeopathic products often aren't regulated the way prescription medications are. That means products could have varying ingredients and concentrations of arnica in them. Long-term use could increase the risk of irritation or cause other skin issues, such as peeling or blisters.
It's also possible to have allergies to arnica. People with allergies to the Asteraceae and Compositae plant families could be particularly susceptible to allergic reactions to arnica. For instance, consider avoiding arnica if you're allergic to marigolds, ragweed, daisies or sunflowers. If you do have an allergy, you might notice itching, skin irritation or redness. You could also experience worsening symptoms, such as pain and bruising.
Taking arnica orally presents a much larger health risk, particularly to the liver. Because it has toxic components, the herb can cause adverse health effects if it's ingested in high doses. This could include dizziness, tremors, heart irregularities, mucus membrane irritation, liver damage, kidney damage and vomiting.
If you're considering using arnica for your aches and pains, the following tips can help you do so safely:
Arnica could be an alternative option for helping ease your arthritic pain or other types of pain, inflammation and bruising. However, keep in mind that there isn't a lot of research and safety data available for arnica, so using it is a calculated risk you should consider fully.
