arnica cream vs pills

[Guest guest]

HI!A friend had a question about the use of arnica cream.... when is it best to use this? Also, what is the difference between the pills and cream.

 

Thanks in advance for your feedback.

[Guest guest]

Hello,

 

I use both and love them both. If you have a fresh bruise, it's

important (I think) to get both the remedy inside ya and on ya! I have

found that doing so after an injury makes all the difference in the

world. I am a recovering "Fibromyalgiac" and a fall or bump could send

me into weeks worth of pain - but not anymore. I just use the Arnica

(in combination) after an injury and go to bed stiff and sore - but

woke in the morning perfectly fine with no bruises whatsoever. And

*no* FMS "flare-up" either. This is more than a miracle to me... it

has truly given me my life back.

 

As far as the difference between the two, I would say one is a

homeopathic remedy and one is an herbal tincture or compound. Herbs

have contradictions, interactions and guidelines that should be

followed. Homeopathic remedies are safe and have no contradictions or

interactions.

 

I have 3 versions on hand right now (remedy, tincture and gel lotion)

and really don't like to be without any of them. The tincture is

awesome when my old whiplash injury wants to act up - shuts the pain

down right now. I do prefer the safer homeopathic remedy to the

tincture though and only use it from time to time. My favorite gel is

made by Roberts and is sold at GNC. I mention this because I have not

seen it in many actual health foods store and I think it is superior to

the cream in a toothpaste tube that most stock instead. It has no

smell whatsoever and immediately soaks into the skin without leaving

any stickiness or anything and that makes it easy to use where ever

whenever without worrying about getting it on your clothes.

 

I'm not sure I really answered your question... I guess the best thing

I can say is that Arnica in all it's forms if indispensable in the

first aid kit - for aches, pains, bruises, menstrual cramps, surgery,

injury of any kind - and each form has it's good points. Homeopathic

remedies are the most affordable and are safe for all ages so at least

have it on hand all the time.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Mouse

 

 

 

 

 

jdicanio wrote:

 

HI!

A friend had a question about the use of arnica cream.... when is it

best to use this? Also, what is the difference between the pills and

cream.

 

Thanks in advance for your feedback.

[Guest guest]

Hi,

 

Arnica cream and massage oils help with bruising, muscle

soreness/stiffness and are applied externally, though not on broken

skin. They speed up the circulation where the

stiffness/soreness/bruising occurred; thereby speeding healing. The

scent of Arnica isn't bad; I like it, and of course with massage

it's also relaxing. Arnica in any form is still an herb - with a

massage oil, it will usually be found in Almond Oil; with a cream,

usually some type of oil base - then made into a cream, which works

just as well.

The pills work internally, and they speed up circulation in general.

If you're using Arnica for localized bruising or stiffness, I'd

stick with the cream or oil. If you're looking to speed up

circulation in general, then it seems the pills would be the way to

go.

I've never used the pills but I really like the massage oil.

I " have " heard of people taking the pills before, during and after a

long plane flight for jet-lag, with good results, but they have to

take quite a few of them.

The only kind of any allergic reaction I've heard of is a red rash,

which goes away when you distcontinue use. Hope that helps some

 

Marilyn

[Guest guest]

I like the arnica gel best. It absorbs and isn't greasy. When my

friend dislocated her knee I directly put arnica gel on it and

although she had to have her leg in a cast for most of the summer,

the doctors were amazed that it had no swelling or bruising despite

the bad condition. Works awesome for anything that would normally

swell or bruise. Traumeel homeopathic remedy is also good for

that. It comes in many forms, for internal and external use for any

injuries.

 

Sharon

 

 

 

, jdicanio wrote:

>

> HI!

> A friend had a question about the use of arnica cream.... when

is it best

> to use this? Also, what is the difference between the pills and

cream.

>

> Thanks in advance for your feedback.

>

[Guest guest]

Hello everyone,

 

I just signed on yesterday, and came across this very interesting info about

arnica - which is something I'm wondering about these days. Thanks for the

info from both folks here - great stuff!

 

I wonder if you could talk a bit more about whether or not you find anica

useful for " old " injuries that don't really involve bruising any longer? I

have an elbow and forearm which gets a bit sore at times. The forearm seems to

be fascia and tendon related (repetitive motion injury), and some of all of

the elbow pain may be related to that, as well (since they tend to get sore at

the same times).

 

I used some arnica gel (but nothing else) on them both the other day, and got

several hours of relief. Is this something I could use long term to help

actually HEAL this old injury, or is this just relieving some of the pain and

related issues of the day? Obviously I'm wanting to actually heal what I can,

rather than just " bandaid " it -- but if " bandaid " is the best I can get at

this point, I'd like the " bandaid " to be the most helpful and least harmful!

 

Thanks for your thoughts!

 

Jent

 

" The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education. " -Albert

Einstein

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

A friend of mine who has some mild

heart trouble (which behaves itself if

she chews one or two hawthorne berries

a day) says Arnica gives her heart

palpitations. It's potent stuff.

 

Has anyone here ever tried to make their

own homeopathic remedies? Shake-shake,

dilute, shake again?

 

I have a nice patch of Arnica happening,

that I keep forgetting to harvest.

Never have need of it myself, but seem

to be obsessed with growing and making

herbal goodies lately.

 

Ien in the Kootenays**************************Stop. Breathe. Smile!~Padma ( my TV yoga teacher)http://freegreenliving.com**************************

 

 

[Guest guest]

Hi Jent,

 

Glad to hear the Arnica helped; it tends to with soreness/stiffnes;

but it is a bandaid.......not a cure.

There are some things to watch out for though with arnica;

ointments, gels, massage oils and creams containing 5%-25% of

tincture or extract are applied topically, following the directions

on whichever you have. The problem with using any of these long-term

is that there are a couple of side effects that you could develop.

They're exema, rash or edema. If any of these occur, the arnica

should be discontinued. I have the massage oil, but it's 'very'

diluted and have never had any problems with it, though I don't use

it often.

But it is OK for short term use or every now and then. Kind of a

bandaid!

Since arnica tends to help with stiffness/swelling - maybe you have

some localized inflammation that you're not aware of? - there's an

esential oil out there that's been used in Thailand for many years,

called Plai, and if diluted 10% in a carrier oil or even a cream or

some shea butter - then massaged into where you need it, it's been

known to eleviate pain for about 18 hours (and that's with surgery!)

I've been putting off a hip replacement (injury related as well) for

going on 7 years now, and Plai is what I use; it's safe and there's

been quite a bit of testing on it. Take care and hope you're not

sore today. Forgot to ask, is the soreness at all weather-change

related?

 

Marilyn

, Jent Lynne

<jentlynne wrote:

>

> Hello everyone,

>

> I just signed on yesterday, and came across this very interesting

info about

> arnica - which is something I'm wondering about these days. Thanks

for the

> info from both folks here - great stuff!

Is this something I could use long term to help

> actually HEAL this old injury, or is this just relieving some of

the pain and

> related issues of the day? > Thanks for your thoughts!

>

> Jent

[Guest guest]

Hi Marilyn,

 

--- katlnhat <katlnhat wrote:

> Glad to hear the Arnica helped; it tends to with soreness/stiffnes;

> but it is a bandaid.......not a cure.

> There are some things to watch out for though with arnica;

 

Thanks for the info - it's good to know!

 

> Since arnica tends to help with stiffness/swelling - maybe you have

> some localized inflammation that you're not aware of? - there's an

 

Yeah, I'm really not sure what's going on with this elbow. One allopath blew

it off with " sounds like it's going to be arthritic. Oh well. " (Aaarrgghh!)

Another says it's related to my tendonitis/ " tennis elbow " in my forearm. The

treatment that has actually helped my " tennis elbow " is actually NOT that for

tendonitis, but for fascia problems (when it starts to 'gunk' up, and helping

it soften and heal is what helps). I'm going to see a naturopath on Friday for

some other stuff - I may ask her what SHE thinks about the elbow. Might as

well throw in yet another opinion about it

 

> esential oil out there that's been used in Thailand for many years,

> called Plai, and if diluted 10% in a carrier oil or even a cream or

 

I will keep an eye out for it - thanks!

 

> been quite a bit of testing on it. Take care and hope you're not

> sore today. Forgot to ask, is the soreness at all weather-change

> related?

 

I am a bit sore today, but no, it doesn't seem to be weather related at all.

When my forearm fascia is making me sore, then the elbow also gets sore

(sometimes my same-side shoulder gets sore, too). Which is what makes me think

it's all fascia-related - but I could be wrong. The forearm and outside of the

elbow tend to be a mild pain - the elbow inside tends to be a dull, " warmish "

ache that seems to throb just a bit. But again - most of the time it isn't

something that's just excrutiating. It's just enough to make life

uncomfortable.

 

Rest helps if it's really, really hurting, but rest seems to make little

difference when it's just sore. Heat feels really good on it (ice/cold does

not) - actually, heat feels good on my whole arm. To work on the fascia, I've

started massaging it with a golf ball (which seems just the right size for

me), so I don't wear out my other hand. There are also 2 trigger points for

this kind of pain in my " Trigger Point Therapy " (by Clair Davies) book that I

should start working on, too.

 

Anyway, thanks for all your help!

 

Jent

 

" The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education. " -Albert

Einstein