Arnica Montana

A yellow mountain daisy and homoeopathy's best-known remedy for bruises, knocks and falls, and for the sore, beaten feeling after overexertion.

Arnica montana, leopard's bane or mountain arnica, is a perennial of the daisy family from the mountain meadows of Europe. It carries bright yellow, daisy-like flower heads on downy stems. Taken raw by mouth it is toxic; homoeopathy uses it only in specially prepared form. In India arnica is also a familiar ingredient of hair oils.

Arnica is homoeopathy's classic first thought after injury. Homoeopaths traditionally use it for bruises, knocks, falls, sprains and strains, and for the sore, beaten feeling in the body after overexertion, when even the bed feels too hard. It is also linked with shock after an injury.

• Bruises and knocks
• Sprains and strains
• Muscle soreness
• Overexertion
• Shock after injury