YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
An effective balm-no voodoo involved
Q: I have a friend who swears by Arnica for bruises and sprains. She and her family all use it, taking it in pill form. Her orthopedist recommended she use it before and after knee surgery. She followed his advice and claimed there was less swelling and bleeding than she’d expected. I’ve seen it listed as an ingredient in a muscle rub. What exactly is it, and is it safe to use for those daily aches and pains I get?
--B. Getz, Twin Falls, ID
A: You’ve discovered a celebrated remedy. This herb’s proper name is Arnica Montana, also called leopard’s bane. Arnica grows in high mountain meadows and was used as a folk remedy in the Swiss Alps because it was known for its ability to relieve soreness and bruising. Hey, I’m inclined to trust those who’ve worked, hiked, and trudged daily through those steep moun-tain slopes about what works for pain.
The Europeans weren’t the only ones who recognized its effectiveness. Native Americans also used it, making ointments and tinctures that soothed sore muscles and healed wounds.
Because of its rich history, Arnica occupies an honored place in homeopathy for its ability to speed the healing of wounds whenever there is bleeding, bruising and soreness involved. And as your friend found, it is quite effective when used for just about any surgery. Scientists have identified two substances in Arnica, helenalin and dihydrohelenalin, that are responsible for producing the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects.
Many competitive athletes use it both for minor musculoskeletal injuries and to reduce muscle soreness resulting from strenuous workouts. I use it in this way myself. I row for exercise and find I do much better overall when I use Arnica. Let me tell you-rowing is one strenuous workout, leaving my arms, back and legs well worked. And because I exercise pretty strenuously on a regular basis, I use oral homeopathic Arnica twice per day in a 12C or 30C potency. These are widely available at most pharmacies, vitamin shops and natural-food stores.
I’ve met at least two highly credentialed mainstream surgeons, one an orthopedist and the other an ear, nose, and throat specialist, who use it. Both of them recommend it to their patients for use after surgery.
Now that’s not to say you won’t encounter doctors who dismiss homeo-pathic Arnica as so much voodoo because they don’t “believe” in homeo-pathy. Most of these doctors, in my experience, know absolutely nothing about homeopathy. When I ask how much time they’ve spent studying it, they’ll change the subject, get angry, or back down in embarrassment. (Maybe it’s the way I phrase the question: I ask how many “minutes” they’ve spent studying the topic.)
I assure you that Arnica has a long history of safe and reportedly effective use by thousands of practitioners. Over the last two centuries, that translates into literally millions of patients. No deaths have been reported. Sorry to say I can’t say the same for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories, which have led to the deaths of 15,000 or more people every single year brought on by gastro-intestinal bleeding. I’m sure they didn’t realize that taking ibuprofen or naproxen to sooth their joint or muscle pain would be a life-threatening decision-which makes it all the more tragic.
Arnica is also used externally in creams, gels, ointments and poultices as a rub for sore and stiff muscles. One of my favorites for daily use after exercise is Weleda Massage Oil with Arnica. For general soreness and pain associated with strains or sprains, I’ve found that a product called Soothanol (available at www.NorthStarNutritionals.com) works as well as anything else I’ve ever tried-and usually a lot faster.
One note of caution: Topical Arnica can irritate broken skin, so if you have a scrape or a cut, do not apply it to that area. Oral homeopathic Arnica, however, is safe from this effect.
