Next in line for your First Aid Kit is another important remedy for bruises, sprains and strains…homeopathic Arnica montana and/or Traumeel. Though not precisely the same (Traumeel contains Arnica montana) I find myself and patients using and choosing one or the other equally and interchangeably. Homeopathic Arnica montana and Traumeel are already known and trusted remedies; you can try both and use both!
How and when to use? Athletes…apply topically to soothe and relieve sore, aching muscles; moms, ease the pain of bumping and bruising little ones; travelers, reduce stiffness from long-distance flying and driving. Anyone who bruises easily, both Arnica and Traumeel used topically or taken internally reduce both bruising and discoloration. Even dental and cosmetic/reconstructive surgeons recommend these medicines to their patients for relieving post-procedure pain.
Arnica montana (Latin name) is a bright yellow daisy-flowering perennial growing wild in the grassy mountain upland meadows of north and central Europe and Siberia. You can also find it here and there in the northwest United States. Common names for this plant: Mountain daisy, Leopard’s bane and Mountain tobacco. St. Hildegard of Bingen, the famous German nun and Catholic saint, was the first to record anything about the healing properties of the Arnica montana plant which she did in the 12th century. In the 16th century, European Alpine mountain peoples used it to relieve muscle aches and bruises. It isn’t a plant to be ingested at full strength; it can be toxic like that. However, it is completely safe when used homeopathically and topically as an ointment, gel or cream; and internally in tablet or pellet form. Remember, homeopathic medicines are very, very diluted therapeutic substances (plants, animals & minerals) that relieve the same symptoms they cause at full strength. (An example would be coffee bean that at a homeopathic dilution would relieve the nervousness it causes in that cup of espresso.)
And what about Traumeel? A combination of 14 active & natural ingredients: Aconitum napellus, Arnica montana, Belladonna, Bellis perennis. Calendula officinalis, Chamomilla, Echinacea, Echinacea purpurea, Hamamelis virginiana, Hepar sulphuris calcareum, Hypericum perforatum, Mercurius solubilis, Millefolium, Symphytum officinale – whose main functions are to relieve overall minor pain and to soothe, reduce & relieve muscle, joint & back pains and soreness.
Both Arnica and Traumeel can be applied topically to the skin (gel/cream/ointments) or taken orally (pellet/tablets/drops that dissolve under the tongue). Which to take or use? In part, it is a personal choice but here are some guidelines… For minor and local complaints, the topical application is the one to use. If symptoms are more severe, perhaps more general, use the pellets or drops. (Pellets have no alcohol; drops have no sugar.) The ointment or cream is odorless and its smooth texture makes it great for massaging into the skin. The gel is clear and non-greasy so it might be the preferred choice for the active and athletic.
You might be confused by the different numbers (or dilutions) when choosing and using Arnica in its oral pellet form. 
You want to choose 30X and/or 30C. Both are appropriate for your first aid kit. Use the higher potency 30C immediately at the time of injury or trauma. You can use 30X for both acute and chronic conditions. Let’s say you didn’t or couldn’t take a dose of Arnica right away. Then you might take 30C or 30X a day or two later if the bump turns into a purple bruise. And then, if after several weeks you still have that bruise, take 30X to resolve the remaining discoloration.
If you are injured, you should still use the RICE method (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) for 20 minutes before you apply Arnica or Traumeel to the skin, provided the skin is unbroken. You can take pellets or tablets right away. Before you apply any more ice or a heating pad at a later time, make sure the cream or gel you applied is fully absorbed so you no longer feel it on the skin.
Traumeel and Arnica Montana have no side effects. They are safe for children, adults, pregnant women and seniors. Very rarely, someone may show a slight allergic reaction (redness or itching) to one form or another topically. Homeopathic medicines like and including Arnica have been regulated as drugs by the FDA since 1938 and are manufactured according to the guidelines in the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States. There are no reported drug interactions and both are safe when other medications are prescribed and required.
You can check out some interesting research here:
“Traumeel – an emerging option to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the management of acute musculoskeletal injuries.”