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 Homoeopathic 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 homoeopathic arnica tablets reduced pain in people recovering from hand surgery.³ ⁴ No other studies of topical arnica have been done, but a few studies of homoeopathic arnica have found it ineffective for treating muscle and joint pain.⁵ ⁶ ⁷

Resources

See a list of books, periodicals, and other resources for this and related topics.

*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

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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The information presented in Healthnotes is for informational purposes only. It is based on scientific studies (human, animal, or in vitro), clinical experience, or traditional usage as cited in each article. The results reported may not necessarily occur in all individuals. For many of the conditions discussed, treatment with prescription or over the counter medication is also available. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or chemist for any health problem and before using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires August 2007.