Arnica- any good?

[Muley]

Feeling a bit sore after coming off my bike last week, and a 'friend of a friend' (OK, my mother-in-laws best friends dippy, several-sandwiches-short-of-a-picnic, in fact at times frankly f*ckwitted, daughter) has suggested arnica as being a good homeopathic remedy for bruising, etc.

So I thought I'd ask some sensible, intelligent people if they reckon it does any good.

(Also thought I'd ask here, too!)

[Sherwick]

yep it's good

[Ladygooner]

It is excellent - cream to rub on bruises, tablets for internal bruising.

[Annasfield]

Yep - have always used it. If you get the tablets, let them dissolve under your tongue rather than swallowing them so they work quicker.

[bigbadwolf]

Hippies!

Tough it out you bunch of cry babies.

Calendula is far more Macho.

[mockney piers]

Can of worms. But in short no, cream is nowt but a moisturiser, pill is a sugar pill, let it dissolve in the French fashion if you like, won't make a blind bit of difference.

[woofmarkthedog]

mockney piers Wrote:

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> Can of worms. But in shirt no, cream is nowt but a

> moisturiser, pill is a sugar pill, let it dissolve

> in the French fashion if you like, won't make a

> blind bit of difference.

-----------------------------------------------------

Agree, wot mockers said.

[KalamityKel]

Tincture WILL bring out the bruising quicker makes ya smell a little tho :)

[mockney piers]

Vodka internally and externally is a great combination. Barring that bruises and scratches heal pretty quick don't they. Savalon is your best bet in my book.

[Keef]

Not that I've ever used it, but just because you think a lot of complementary medicines / herbal remedies are naff, doesn't mean they all are.

This is one that I have heard good things about from lots of people, including health professionals talking to Mrs Keef after childbirth, so I'd be willing to give it a go.

Vodka is much more fun though, but can actually lead to bruising (that you can't explain) in my experience.

[mockney piers]

But it's not a herbal remedy is it Keef. It's homeopathy so by it's own definition it is water with any trace ingredient so diluted that by design there is none left. So it's water with a 'memory' of arnica. Otherwise known as utter tosh.

Now a dock leaf is an entirely different matter.

[Keef]

It's homeopathy

No it isn't! Okay, the tablets or whatever are, and I agree that they're basically bollocks, but arnica oil used externally is not.

[KalamityKel]

I'm not convinced it should be taken internally. Terrible possible side affects - dizziness, tremors and irregular heartbeat. Dont ask me what kind of "tremors" it said it on the back of the packet/box thingy!

[daizie]

do you have to eat vegetables and not wash to get the full affect ?

[mockney piers]

Keef. The OP specified that it was a homeopathic remedy.

[KalamityKel]

Now now they clearly do not know the difference hence the call for advice possibly?

[Keef]

Keef. The OP specified that it was a homeopathic remedy.

Er, oh yeah :-$

Okay, no, it's sh!te. But Arnica is very good for bruising.

[mockney piers]

Plenty of homeopathic creams out there. Muley if it says that word anywhere then bin it, if it's a salve cream or ointment containing arnica then you should be fine. I'd still stick to a combination of savlon externally and vodka internally mind ;)

[Muley]

To be honest I wouldn't have a clue if it's homeopathic or not, that's what the girl who suggested it to me said (but she's probably not the most reliable source about....well, anything really!).

Just trying to get patched up 'cos we're going kayaking at the weekend and a sore shoulder will take the fun out of it.

The vodka and dock leaf combo has to be a strong contender though!

[Annasfield]

I keep a bottle of the tablets when i'm skiing. The cream/ointment whatever you want to call it, it my opinion, does work so I can't see any reason why the tablets wouldn't help either.

[mockney piers]

Probably because the arnica that contains the anti-inflammatory causes internal bleeding when ingested. If the tablet does contain any it sure as hell won't be doing you any good!!

[Annasfield]

Prove it.

[Asset]

The cream works, tablets - Jury's out.

[nashoi]

Someone brought the cream on a ski trip last year, those of us that tried it all got reactions to something toxic in it, but it did nothing at all for the bruises.

[Horsebox]

Hocus pocus.