Want to try Arnica but think homeopathy is a load of twaddle! Advice?

[EllieKat]

I know there's a current thread running about Arnica, but I have a slightly different problem: I'd like to try it, but I'm having trouble finding it in any form other than homeopathic preparations. Which is my main problem - I don't believe in homeopathy, which isn't the same as herbal remedies. I don't want to buy anything that doesn't say what proportion of active ingredient it has, regardless of whether it's 6cc, 30cc or 200cc. They're just sugar tablets and it's a placebo effect, which is great for people who believe in it, but not if you don't! (sorry, I don't want to offend anyone who believes in homeopathy, or who say this really works! Really not trying to start a debate on whether homeopathy is any good or not.)

I do believe that Arnica probably helps - it's been used as a herbal folk remedy for centuries for bruising, long before homeopathy was invented. I'd just like to find it in a herbal preparation rather than diluted to the point that it is almost not present, that's all. If anyone has seen it in that form, I'd be grateful to know!

Boots have arnica cream if that's any good?

You buy it in bog standard chemists they have little containers of pillules and it says the strength on??????? Nelsons do arnica ones I got the purple highest strength they did. I did 2 births without arnica and 2 with - hmmmmmmmm no bruising on the last 2 - felt like I'd been kicked by a horse the first 2 times.

Dh had 2 wisdom teeth taken out without arnica then the next 2 after using it - although they said these were more badly impacted and infected he was in far less pain and no bruising.

I just buy the pills and neck loads of them

The cc is the proportion although as I understand it homeopathy works on some strange reverse strength so what they think is strongest is vvvv dilute

I don't think the homeopathic arnica is the same thing as the cream. And, from what I know, diluted homeopathic things really have effectively none of the original ingredient in them.

But the cream is herbal, not homeopathic.

I had the Boots cream - didn't work at all (sorry Scooter). I think you're probably after arnica in tincture form - try a herbalist?

Just googled "arnica tincture" and lots of stuff came up.

Thanks for the posts!

Scooter and Cockney - I have seen the cream, and you're right, it's the only other preparation out there that isn't a homeopathic 'pillule'. Thing is, I can't take it internally, and I need something that might help with internal bruising/tears. I wonder if you can use it on, um, external bits? I might give it a go...

Franke - thanks, I think that's the most likely route! The plant is toxic, so I don't want to muck about with an unknown strength if I do find it in a herbal preparation!

The 'pillules' are basically sugar and lactose. Any active ingredient - in this case, Arnica montana - has been diluted and diluted and diluted until there's hardly any left, and then they make the pillules! Sorry, but I just don't buy it. Placebo effects do work - if you believe in what's being done. I'm a cynical old cow, so I need evidence-based preparations, which is why I want to find it in a herbal preparation, not a homeopathic one...

Hmmmmm I don't know but I bought the highest dose stuff and used loads more than was recommended elsewhere - also it was about 36 hours from when I started taking it to when I delivered and didn't eat much else????

IIRC Arnica was scientifically proved recently to have absolutely no therapeutic/ healing properties whatsoever - you could probably use Dove moisturiser with the same results

Speak to a qualified herbalist. If you "believe in" them.

correct - total twaddle.

but i had arnica and rescue remedy and all that rubbish, sort of made me feel better in a way!

Sorry to be annoying but when I give arnica homeopathy to my 3 year old DD I can actually SEE the bruises get lighter in colour in a few seconds. I'm a rational human being (with a PhD) and don't tend to go for all that hippy crap usually (sorry if I'm offending hippies) but I have to say I've been impressed with the stuff. Also, my Godfather is a great vet and says it works on animals like nothing else does. How can that possibly be placebo (on kids and pets)???

You won't find a herbal Arnica treatment that you can take internally, except the homeopathic ones.

As there is no evidence for you, perhaps you shouldn't bother with the whole idea and just take what your doctor prescribes should you need something.

You are making a clear statement of your views about homeopathy here; otherwise you would just have asked if anyone can recommend a herbal Arnica treatment that can be taken internally... full stop... without all the caveats.

Maybe you would be fine without taking anything?
I always laugh when people are so certain it worked because they healed up really quickly with no bruising.... as far as I can see this is true of most people who don't take arnica as well

EllieKat, you may have to swallow your anti-homeopathic principles along with any arnica tablets you take, as I think they only exist in homeopathic form. You could always not bother of course, and save yourself some money, if you believe it is just a placebo effect at the dilution levels it is sold in.

I'm pretty sure my arnica 200cc tablets made a big difference. I had one c-section without them (terrible bruising, long recovery) and one with them taken in high doses (no bruising, no pain, quick recovery - for many reasons but arnica probably helped).

Agree with kathy. There is no control experiment!

if "alternative" medicine works it is just "medicine". If it doesn't, it's quackery. I'm with Dawkins on this.

When I mentioned to the hospital midwives that I had taken some after dd1 was born, they said a lot of people find it helps reduce the bruising. I agree wit Tuttifrutti - just take it. It won't do you any harm and it's only cheap.

Cargirl - where on earth did you put it? On your perenieum??