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Arnica as Good as Ibuprofen Gel for Arthritis Pain

Arnica has been used as a topical medicine since at least the sixteenth century. Now modern clinical research shows it to be equal to topical ibuprofen in relieving the symptoms of osteoarthritis of the hands.

The study involved 204 people who were randomly assigned to receive either ibuprofen gel or arnica gel. Both treatments were gently rubbed over the affected joints three times a day for three weeks.

The ibuprofen group had a 24% reduction in pain; the arnica group had a 27% reduction. Overall hand function improved similarly in the two groups.

Arnica-containing ointments and arnica tablets are commonly used for sprains, strains, and sports injuries. This is the first study to compare arnica and ibuprofen for osteoarthritis pain.

(Widrig R, Suter A, Saller R, and Melzer J. “Choosing between NSAID and arnica for topical treatment of hand osteoarthritis in a randomised, double-blind study." Rheumatol Int 2007;27:585–91.)

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