West Valley Family Clinic Blog

One of my “Ask The Doctor” clients wrote to me yesterday asking about a natural analgesic known as Arnica Montana. He is an avid runner, and was looking for something to deal with the aches and pains associated with a long run.

Arnica is a wild flower that grows in high elevations. It is in the sunflower family. In the United States, it is found in the mountains of the Northwest. This plant works well as a natural anti-inflammatory. It is best used topically. In the field, one can poor boiling water over the flowering head, remove the excess water, and then apply the flowering head hot to the injured area. Leave it in place until it cools, and then repeat 2 to 3 times.

This herb can also be taken orally, however there are some risks. overdosing with this herb can lead to vomitting, diarrhea, and mucos membrane hemorrhage.

It also acts as a cardiac muscle stimulant, and therefore can be an effective treatment for cardiac insufficiency. Again, it is necessary to be careful with this as overdosing can lead to cardiac muscle palsy following overstimulation.

Other names of this herb are, Mountain Tobacco, Leopard’s Bane, Wolfsbane, Arnica Flowers, and Arnica Root.

If you have any questions, you can write them to me at drmarksnow@westvalleyfamilyclinic.com.