Arnica Montana and Calendula – How they help the lymphatic system.
Have you ever heard of Arnica Montana or Calendula? I didn’t know much about either of them until I started working at Swanson Health Products here in Fargo, and I’ve been working at Swanson’s now for almost 12 years! Over the years I have learned so much about these two herbal products and to this day I continue to learn more every day! I just love learning new things and today I learned that arnica montana is a flower and is a part of the same flower family as calendula, which is daisy!
Let’s dive deeper into learning about these two herbs, starting with Arnica Montana!
I’ve known arnica to be a homeopathic supplement for a very long time. Knowing it had probably came from a plant of sorts, I don’t know why I never looked into it until now. As I’m writing this blog post and thinking about it, my mind feels like it is exploding with questions and information!
Since working with arnica over the years, I know it is good for helping heal bruises, reducing swelling/inflammation from injuries or surgeries, helps reduce pain, can soothe skin irritations like eczema and psoriasis, and supports cell renewal. This flower can be used topically as a gel, cream, or oil and can be taken internally as a homeopathic supplement as small dissolvable pellets or tablets.
Keeping in mind you shouldn’t apply any kind of ointment to open wounds or broken skin, so if you have eczema or psoriasis I’d say use it when you are not flaring up. I would say it would be better to use the internal supplements during those times, until your skin heals more.
Now let’s ask the question, “how does arnica help with the lymphatic system?” Due to its ability to reduce swelling and inflammation, it only makes sense that arnica can help with swelling if lymphatic fluid is building up somewhere in the body. I had a client with lymphedema in their lower legs, and I used an arnica massage oil that I have, with some lymphatic massage techniques I’ve learned. After the session, the client stated, “Wow! I feel like I have legs again!” Knowing I used arnica in that session, made me realize that it definitely helps with the lymphatic system.
This oil that I use has a sunflower oil base and contains lemon essential oil. Lemon has a rich compound called d-limonene, found in the rinds of citrus fruits, which can help cleanse lymphatic glands and aid in the liver’s detox phase to cleanse the body.
One more interesting fact about arnica before we continue on to calendula! Apparently in one of my herbal books, that I have acquired over the years, says that arnica can be highly toxic if taken internally however Homeopathy form is safe. Homeopathy is safe because a lot of those herbs are diluted pretty well and regulated. This information makes sense as to why I’ve never seen loose leaf or arnica tea for consumption at Swanson’s.
Now, let’s chat about calendula!
I’ve seen calendula in a few different forms. It comes in oil, capsules, and loose leaf. It can be taken internally and used externally as an oil. The most common benefits include:
- Anti-inflammatory properties.
- Heals bruises, burns, sores, skin ulcers, rashes, and other skin infections.
- Aids in cell repair and growth.
- May help lower fevers.
- Aids in some gastrointestinal issues.
Seeing how arnica and calendula have similar healing properties, it only makes sense that they pair well together when healing the body. Now let’s ask, “How dose calendula help the lymphatic system,” and see how it’s similar to arnica!
Here is a list of different ways some herbalists say calendula aids the lymphatic system:
- Stimulates the lymph flow which helps the body clear cellular debris, waste, and toxins.
- Its anti-inflammatory properties reduce inflammation in the lymph nodes and vessels.
- Calendula’s wound healing properties can help prevent infections and when the lymph fluid is flowing properly, it can move waste and toxins away from the injury site.
I haven’t used calendula with any of my clients yet but reading and learning about how other therapists have used calendula for their lymphatic drainage clients, there seems to be a lot of great benefits with using it! I plan to start using this with my clients and I’ll keep you posted on how that works out!
One last thing to note before we end our journey today! Calendula is a part of the ragweed family. If you are allergic to ragweed, it is probably best that you don’t use calendula and possibly even arnica because these two are in the same family. On that note, if you decide to book a lymphatic massage with me, please let me know if you have a ragweed allergy. I’d hate for you to have a bad reaction from your session!
Thank you for going on this small journey today with me! Hope you have a wonderful rest of your week!
Yellow and orange.
Friends of the daisy family.
Healing with nature.
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