The credit of most widely used drug by lay people and non-homeopaths should go to Arnica Montana! I have seen innumerable orthopedic surgeons, physiotherapists, and general physicians prescribing Arnica in 200 or higher potencies for different types of bruised and contused wounds. Yes! This is what Arnica is famous for. Only the person who has experienced the magic of this wondrous drug can understand its therapeutic efficacy.

Just recently I had a skeptic comment to one of the articles in which use of Arnica was stressed. The commentator had ridiculed its use and said it is nothing more than a placebo in keeping the patient’s hope high after its intake. Well, as usual I had ignored it! The point of telling this here is the fact that the same skeptic after a few days wrote to me, (This is what he says exactly; have taken his permission to put this in his own words), “My son aged 6 years had a contused wound made by the hit of a stone to his right index finger 3 days back. I had given him the best of analgesic but he was still wailing in despair. There was marked swelling and he couldn’t move his terminal phalanx. While wondering what to do, I remembered about the bottle of Arnica 200CH I had bought on one of the occasions on insistence of my wife (but didn’t find it useful at all in one of the instance, so had kept it aside). Gave my son 3 globules of Arnica and miracle happened. Within next 2 hours, his swelling substantially reduced and next day he was absolutely free from pain. Perhaps, I had used it in wrong place earlier; so please excuse me for my earlier skeptic comment on it”. Certainly not too many skeptics have this big heart!

In short, Arnica Montana is a darling medicine for homeopaths and non-homeopaths alike, as it rarely refuses to act positively when homeopathically applied.

However, the purpose of this article is not to elaborate on the “INJURY” aspect of Arnica Montana but the other aspects of it other than injury! Yes, it is one of the very useful polychrest remedies in homeopathic material medica that needs to be studied in depth to utilize its finest of properties.

Let’s see—

• One of the most important symptoms of Arnica one should remember is- pain in the part that is used more. It is thus not only the contused wound pain but pain in any organ that is being used a lot. The fatigue from this over-use leads to sore pain. For example- if a person develops sore throat after talking incessantly for long hours, Arnica will help him get rid of this soreness almost immediately. If there is sudden rise of blood pressure in a person who has done loads of hard work, a dose of Arnica will help lower his blood pressure and no anti-hypertensive drugs will be necessary! This thus applies to any part or organ.

• Arnica is one of the important remedies also for depression! In many cases, the remedial diagnosis comes of Arnica when a homeopath might miss out on this wonderful drug to rouse the patient from his dreaded depressive spirits. The patient dreads to be talked to, hates any sort of conversation, imagines he is suffering from some heart problem and remains frightened; alternating with the state of fearlessness when he says there is nothing the matter with him! Lots of nightmares are usually present with fearful dreams. This usually happens is people who have gone through some sort of physical and/or mental shock. The depression is almost always associated with great soreness of body, because of which he dreads the thought of touching anyone. This painful uneasiness with restlessness permeates through all Arnica patients.

• Arnica is one of the good remedies for bleeding tendencies. Bluish red spots come suddenly on skin or on mucus membranes or any inflamed part tends to bleed easily. The expectorant is dotted with tiny red blood clots at times. Urine even is bloody especially after an accident and there can be bleeding from various orifices of the body. Arnica is the remedy that helps in early clotting of blood when given at right time.

• One of the great remedies for rheumatic diathesis. Bruised lame feeling in joints is the marked feature. Usually associated with mental despair and agony. History of joint injury can be traced back as early as in childhood. Sudden turning of joints with blue-black appearance is also one of the hallmarks of Arnica.

• Also the old cases of gout with extreme soreness and enhanced sensitivity respond very well to Arnica.

• Any inflammatory condition in the body pertaining to liver, kidneys, bladder or lungs (of course irrespective of the diagnosis) with sore bruised feeling all over the body responds well to very few doses of Arnica. Never doubt the use of Arnica in such cases (for example pneumonia), as the doubt might arise because possibly Arnica has very little sphere of action on lungs. That’s the beauty of holistic medicine like homeopathy that caters any and all symptoms effectively if the remedy selected is based on Law of Similars.

• Some gastric symptoms are very prominent in Arnica that one should never miss. There is marked aversion to meat, broth, and milk! Many inflammatory conditions in abdomen respond well to Arnica including appendicitis. Dr J T Kent says, “It is only deplorable ignorance that causes appendicitis to be surrendered to the knife. You need not run to a surgeon for every case of appendicitis if you know Bryonia, Rhus tox, Belladona, and Arnica!”

• Also, nightly diarrheas with very offensive smell respond well to Arnica with offensive eructation and flatus. Stools are usually mixed with blood with soreness of anus.

• During pregnancy, Arnica is one of the chief drugs to be thought of when the pregnant lady is overtly sensitive to carrying her fetus within her womb. Uterus, abdominal viscera and surrounding organs feel bruised and movements of the fetus worsen the soreness. After long labor, when the woman has dribbling urination, Arnica is one of the amazing drugs. Usually associated with coldness of the body with hot head.