The Healing Power of Arnica

George, the adorable culprit of my latest injuries, which were cured by arnica oil.

It’s no secret that I am somewhat of a klutz, but two weeks ago I took one of my worst spills. I was sitting on my sister’s deck reading a magazine and lazily holding the retractable leash of her boxer, George, when all of a sudden a cat strolled by, sending George into a tizzy and causing me to be pulled a few hundred yards behind him. The cat escaped unscathed, but unfortunately I wasn’t as lucky. After a trip to the emergency room, I was the proud owner of three torn ligaments in my right arm, a severely sprained wrist, and a lot of pain. Over the next couple of days, the swelling and bruising became so severe that I was actually scaring small children on the subway, and my family started referring to me (jokingly, but not really) as “Club Arm.” Realizing that ice just wasn’t cutting it, I remembered an article I had written last June about arnica, which is well known for its anti-inflammatory and muscle relieving properties. So I scoured my office beauty closet and found Dr. Hauschka’s Birch Arnica Body Oil, which I immediately began slathering on my arm. After applying it consistently, three days later not only had the bruising almost disappeared but the swelling was reduced dramatically. I was so impressed by the results that I actually ventured to wear short sleeves today for the first time since the incident! Going forward (and knowing my history), I plan to keep this miracle oil on hand at all times. To read more about the healing benefits of arnica, check out my article here.