The Great Arnica Experiment
June 20th, 2009
Arnica cream
Last summer, I put my body on the line for science: I wanted to test the efficacy of topical arnica montana. We’ve all heard that arnica makes bruises go away faster. I wanted to believe it, because I could really use it, but I am an enormous skeptic when it comes to alternative medicine. Actually, you could end that sentence after “skeptic”.
The effective methods I know are preventative: ice, elevate, and avoid aspirin. Bruises go away on their own, and much faster if you have been bruised repeatedly in the same place. If there were a miracle bruise cure, I’m pretty sure it would be under patent by Pfizer or Merck and cost much more than six or eight dollars a tube. Blindly applying sticky herbal-smelling bruise cream three times a day to no effect was not doing it for me.
I would have just ignored the stuff, save my rampant annoyance at being assured it works and would solve all my problems. Anecdotal evidence, psssh. How do you actually know it works? How do you know your bruises wouldn’t have gone away that fast anyway? Have you heard, by any chance, that homeopathy is an utter crock of shit?
I decided I’d conduct my own experiment: I’d make two identical bruises and use arnica on one. I admit this experiment was, perhaps, lacking in scientific rigor, but not devoid of entertainment value.
arnica experiment, day 2
First, symmetry! I drew 4″ circles on both thighs and instructed my helpers to stay inside them. The resulting thigh-eating blobs are a great illustration in how bruises spread. If you look at the photo, you can sort of see the circle I drew (filled with cane marks), the pad of swelling underneath it, and then the pink-purple edges of the thing bleeding out.
The right bruise was a little smaller, so I decided I’d give the arnica a head start and keep the left leg as my control.
Bruises, of course, are subject to gravity too. Over the course of the next few days, they crept down my legs almost to my knees, preventing me from wearing shorts. Did arnica stop that? Noooooo.
I meant to take photos of the bruises every day, but I couldn’t get adequate light, and the pictures didn’t come out. So you’ll have to take my word for it that after a week of using arnica three times a day, the results were unimpressive. I couldn’t tell any difference at all. They faded out after a week and a half, looking identical to the end.
Ten days is fast for a bruise of that gruesomeness. I’m sure if I’d used arnica on both, I’d have wholly credited the healing time to the stuff.
Technically, this doesn’t prove that arnica doesn’t work. But it fails to prove that it does work, either.
If you conduct your own experiment, please send me a link, or just email me the photos and any narrative! I would be delighted beyond measure to post it here.
June 20th, 2009 at 8:41 am
Making those bruises for the test was an entertaining little scene
June 20th, 2009 at 1:50 pm
In the same way that all of your knowledge of not bruising is preventative, perhaps arnica would work in the same manner. I suggest that for 5 days you apply arnica to thigh A, and leave thigh B to do its thing. at 5 day mark do as you did again (circles, caning, bruising). continue using arnica on thigh A until bruises disappear.
Oh, and let me be around to watch the bruising. That’s the super scientific part.
June 20th, 2009 at 3:12 pm
Yes, I did an experiment too. I put arnica on half of a mega-giant-bruise, and sunscreen on the other half. This was to control for the action of rubbing the skin. Another bruise was left completely untouched. And I checked the arnica that I was using to make sure that it actually had active ingredient in it, not the homeopathic shit.
Result: no discernible difference.
I am tempted to phone this in to Doctor Karl on BBC5’s Up All Night Science Questions.
June 20th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
For someone that doesn’t exactly have a background in alternative medicine to call homeopathy a crock of shit is pretty ignorant.
As all people with backgrounds in alternative medicine know (including me), when you’re using homeopathic treatments you need to stay away from coffee, mint and camphor, it completely negates its effects as does most strong smelling substances.
June 21st, 2009 at 6:27 pm
I’ve found (as someone who has quite a lot of bruises as part of work) that the only arnica that works is the pill kind. And not the tiny ones that come in a click-pak/tube thing. Actual 30c pills.
The cream, gel, etc has done cock-all for me. And sometimes nothing works at all – especially if I’m anaemic or run-down etc. Most of the time I just don’t bother taking anything, and stick with rubbing moisturiser into my ass whenever I can.
June 25th, 2009 at 12:23 am
My roommate and I have conducted tests on arnica. We don’t have photographic evidence or anything very scientifically robust. We got the same results: basically, no evidence to prove it works.
We have found that a long, hard spanking dries out the skin, and the application of a good, think cream not only felt divine, but it helped the skin recover its suppleness a lot faster. We haven’t officially tested this as neither of us wants any part of her body to be the control. Udder Cream (originally intended for nursing mothers) has been my long-time favorite.
June 27th, 2009 at 2:34 pm
What an awesome and entertaining test! Thanks for posting this, helps others be informed! Reminds me of the recent test my gf Ziztur did regarding homeopathic sleeping pills – she videotaped herself taking a whole bottle! She reported similar results as you did:
http://www.ziztur.com/2009/06/i-swallowed-placebopills.html
June 29th, 2009 at 8:54 pm
Thanks for the heads up guys. I’ve been in several workshops where the instructors suggested using Arnica when caning but if it doesn’t work, then no reason to waste the 8 bucks!
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:28 pm
If you don’t feel she’s qualified to call it a crock of shit, how about someone medically trained?
It’s a crock of shit. Won’t work. Don’t waste your money.
There. Feel better?
July 5th, 2009 at 9:01 am
Hardly any posts lately? Have you gotten to busy? You’re obviously under no obligation to keep me entertained, but you should know that you’re wit and insight is missed. Hope all’s well.
July 5th, 2009 at 7:11 pm
ms calico, i attended your class at tessfest on saturday, I would be interested in having a private session with you. I frequent nyc quite often. If you are interested please contact me via my email.
August 7th, 2009 at 3:46 pm
The best thing you can do for your body to cope with bruising is nutrition. The healthier the diet the more resources the body has available to deal with being in repair mode. More food sources of omega 3 and flavonoids(the bright colour antioxidants in fruits an veggies) has kept my ehlerdanlos caused bruising down to reasonable. Soaking in hot bath shortly after feels better overall and less tender.
November 10th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
I tried using Arnica – not the homeopathic type but a gel that contained 3% arnica – that seemed to help.
January 1st, 2010 at 10:33 pm
I thought Arnica was supposed to be taken orally. And that it was for pain, not for bruise removal. No?
March 8th, 2010 at 10:03 pm
Another vote for the gel. QVC sell it over here. No good evidence, I do not seem to bruise that much at all.
Arnica is proven, it works in the lab, so not so alternative anymore.
My problem with the either or debate in medicine, is why can medicine not see the benefits of treating the person? I agree that there needs to be lots more research, but when they test stuff like arnica they find it works, so maybe do a lot more testing.
I agree that Homeopathy, does not make any sense to me, but on the other hand, until they really test it, what do we actual know?
As a skeptic, I always ask, who making money out of this? Take a pill for rest of life, or change diet etc?
May 15th, 2010 at 10:04 am
THe issue I have with the arnica you tried is that it is the ’safe, over the counter stuff’. My success was with a strength called 1M (where I live you can’t buy this over the counter) and was an oral liquid rather than a local topical cream of about 30c. YMMV
July 19th, 2010 at 5:20 pm
Hi sapioslut 1M just means it has been diluted even more than most usual homeopathic concoctions. 30c is already diluted so much there are likely to be zero molecules of active ingredient 1M is diluted a lot more. Homepathic concoctions are safe because they are pretty much water. 6x may have a chance of active ingredient. 30c will have no chance so be totally safe. Unless you are allergic to water, or you take homeopathic concoctions when you should see a doctor, taking 1M is incredibly safe whether sold under or over the counter.
Arnica as a herbal remedy is another question