Arnica for Sports & Fitness
Why do athletes use it?*
Some athletes say that arnica
- helps reduce the pain and accelerate the healing of
sports injuries, such as bruises, strains, and sprains.
What do the advocates say?*
Arnica is very useful in the early stages of an injury when there is swelling.
Arnica can be used prior to and immediately after a demanding athletic event (e.g., a
marathon) to prevent post-workout soreness. While “weekend warriors” may benefit
from arnica, they should not use it routinely in lieu of adequate training and stretching;
overuse or arnica can cause it to lose its effectiveness or cause side effects such as pain
and soreness.
Do not use arnica for more than seven consecutive days. You should discontinue use once
your symptoms have improved.
How much is usually taken by athletes?
Arnica-containing ointments are recommended by many practitioners for the treatment of
sprains and strains and other traumatic injuries.1 Homeopathic arnica tablets are
also used by some practitioners for similar conditions.2 One uncontrolled trial
showed that arnica gel applied twice daily reduced symptoms of osteoarthritis of the knee and
a double-blind study reported that a combination of topical arnica ointment and oral
homeopathic arnica tablets reduced pain in people recovering from hand surgery.3
4 No other studies of topical arnica have been done, but several studies of
homeopathic arnica have found it ineffective for treating muscle and joint pain.5
6 7
*Athletes and fitness advocates may claim benefits for arnica based
on their personal or professional experience. These are individual opinions and testimonials
that may or may not be supported by controlled clinical studies or published scientific
articles on arnica.
References
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1. Blumenthal M, Busse WR, Goldberg A, et al, eds. The Complete
German Commission E Monographs—Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Austin:
American Botanical Council. Boston: Integrative Medicine Communications, 1998.
2. Oberbaum M, Schreiber R, Rosenthal C, Itzchaki M. Homeopathic
treatment in emergency medicine: a case series. Homeopathy 2003;92:44–7.
3. Knuesel O, Weber M, Suter A. Arnica montana gel in osteoarthritis of
the knee: an open, multicenter clinical trial. Adv Ther 2002;19:209–18.
4. Jeffrey SL, Belcher HJ. Use of Arnica to relieve pain after
carpal-tunnel release surgery. Altern Ther Health Med 2002;8:66–8.
5. Stevinson C, Devaraj VS, Fountain-Barber A, et al. Homeopathic arnica
for prevention of pain and bruising: randomized placebo-controlled trial in hand surgery.
J R Soc Med 2003;96:60–5.
6. Vickers AJ, Fisher P, Smith C, et al. Homeopathic Arnica 30x is
ineffective for muscle soreness after long-distance running: a randomized, double-blind,
placebo-controlled trial. Clin J Pain 1998;14:227–31.
7. Ernst E, Pittler MH. Efficacy of homeopathic arnica: a systematic
review of placebo-controlled clinical trials. Arch Surg 1998;133:1187–90
[review].
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It is based on scientific studies (human, animal, or in vitro), clinical experience,
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