Lee Swanson Research Update

Arnica Montana Gel as Good as Ibuprofen Gel for Arthritis Pain

August 2007

People whose lives are disrupted by arthritis have used topical pain relievers for many years. Most recently, topical ibuprofen preparations have been popular, but many people prefer a more natural approach. Enter Arnica montana.

Researchers at the Department of Internal Medicine, Institute of Complementary Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland evaluated the performance of ibuprofen and arnica gels on patients with "radiologically confirmed and symptomatically active osteoarthritis of interphalangeal joints of hands."

The randomized, double-blind study involved 204 patients. Purpose of the study was to ascertain differences in pain relief and hand function after 21 days of treatment with both gels.

Study participants were randomly given ibuprofen gel or arnica gel. Both groups got identical amounts of gel, rubbed over the affected joints three times a day for three weeks. Participants were asked not to wash their hands for one hour after application.

The arnica group had a 26.6% reduction in pain; the ibuprofen group had a 23.9% reduction. Overall hand function improved similarly in the two groups. Both treatments were well tolerated.

The researchers stated: "Our results confirm that this preparation of arnica is not inferior to ibuprofen when treating osteoarthritis of hands."

Rheumatology International 27(6):585-591, 2007

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