Jon Myers

As a firm believer in science and proof I like to check out all the claims that are made by "natural" treatments. Unfortunetly, most don't have much or any foundation in science, not unlike the claims made that a bent up piece of sheet metal in the intake manifold of your car will give you 20% better fuel economy.

According to the American Cancer Society and their website:
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_5_3X_Arnica.asp?sitearea=ETO

"What is the history behind it?

Herbal medicines made from arnica flowers and roots have been popular for hundreds of years. It has been said that Goethe drank arnica tea to relieve chest pains. The leaves were reportedly smoked, like tobacco. More recently, homeopathic and topical uses have predominated due to the possible harm in taking the herb by mouth.

What is the evidence?

Available scientific evidence does not support most of the claims about arnica's effectiveness. In 1998, a review in the Archives of Surgery of 8 controlled human trials studying the effectiveness of arnica found that arnica was no more effective in treating injuries than the placebo with which it was compared. The authors found that the studies they reviewed had serious flaws in the methods used to evaluate the effectiveness of arnica. They concluded that the human trials did not indicate that arnica was helpful or beneficial. One randomized clinical trial actually found that arnica appeared to increase pain and cause more swelling than the placebo in patients who had their wisdom teeth removed.

A 2003 study of 62 patients tested homeopathic arnica to determine whether it reduced pain and bruising in patients having surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome. There were no differences in pain or bruising between the arnica and placebo groups.

..."

more can be found at the link to the ACS website.
-Jon Myers