Arnica

[drives2much]

Arnica is described as a natural herb used as a remedy for sprains and strains. I have seen it in Dance Distributor's catalog in a spray and gel form, but they no longer stock this item. This has been recommended by my daughter's instructor; she swears by it. Anyone else have experience with this? Where do you buy it?

[Mel Johnson]

That's an old, old, classic counterirritant type of liniment. Tincture of Arnica. It should be easily available at the local pharmacy. The old name is wolfsbane. Rub it on and be safe from werewolves AAAAOOOOOooooo!

[drives2much]

So, you're saying it doesn't work.

[Victoria Leigh]

I think what he is saying is that liniment is liniment. They are all basically the same. Sometimes they seem to help some things, usually just sore muscles, and they all seem to work about the same. There is no magic in Arnica or anything else. They don't do much for joints, but they can help a bit with sore muscles.

[l2daisygirl]

My daughter used arnica gel in combination with blue emu (a tip from this board) during the grueling Nut season for a very sore tendon on her foot. She SWORE by the arnica gel, saying that when she had the symptoms before, and didn't use anything, it took much longer to heal. I think the arnica gel is supposed to be more of an anti-inflammatory agent than say, blu emu. Whatever works!! We found it at a large health-food chain in the DFW area. They had both gel and lotion.

[Mel Johnson]

What I was saying is that it works fine for muscle strains, stone bruises, other aches and pains, but when it comes to werewolves, you're on your own.

[K8smom]

When I was coaching track, our head coach swore by it, but when my dd used it, she said that it made the pain worse. She has rather sensitive skin, maybe she was just extra-sensitive to it, I don't know...

[SeaMonkey]

I LOVE arnica. I danced with a modern company last year and one of the choreographers was also a physical therapist/pilates instructor. We did a show in April that was VERY brutal on the body and she suggested arnica. I've been using it ever since. I use it more on bruises though

[Dansuer85]

Arnica works very well for sprains and strains and bruises. It helps keep the swelling down and atleast in the experince I've had, it helped me get back on my feet better. Be careful when you buy Arnica, make sure it doesn't have a bunch of other stuff in it like artifical dyes and such. I can't think of the brand I use, but it's generally what is found at health food stores and the such.

[mylildancer]

Arnica gel and Arnica tablets were recommended to my dd by her LMT (licensed massage therapist). When we went to Seattle during audition time, she took a couple of arnica tablet the night before the audition, the morning of the audition, and after the audition. She uses the arnica gel on her sore muscles or any bruises she may get. Another topical treatment that she uses is Tiger Balm.

[Treefrog]

Arnica tablets???

 

Any Harry Potter devotée can tell you that wolfsbane = monkshood = aconitum, and that it is quite poisonous.

[myob1]

Well, I can tell you that the only times I've ever been attacked by werewolves were those evenings when I foolishly left my ampulla of arnica back at the castle.

[rosentom]

Arnica tablets are widely used as a homeopathic remedy for bruises and muscle soreness due to overexertion. If you read about how homeopathic remedies are created and how diluted they are, it makes you wonder how they work at all. I just know arnica is effective for many people, whether it is a topical gel or tincture or taken sublingual in tablet or pellet form. I keep it around in gel, tincture and pellet form for my dd. Judy Rice at Joffrey Midwest swears by the tincture for bruised toenails. Just don't let it get on a blistered area! Being a tincture, it'll most likely have alcohol in it!

[Guest balletmom1]

I gave my DD homeopathic Arnica tablets when she had her wisdom teeth removed. She had minimal swelling (boy was I jealous, when I had mine done 20 years ago, I was very swollen for days!) Was it the arnica, the icing or the sleeping upright the first night? Don't know????? But it certainly didn't hurt

[Mel Johnson]

And of course, aconite is an alkaloid that is odorless, tasteless, and disappears entirely, leaving nothing but trace elements which are nearly impossible to screen for unless you're looking specifically FOR aconite...