Does Arnica Work For Pain? (The Good VS The Bad)

If you suffer from chronic pain – you surely heard of Arnica Montana. 

It’s a common ingredient in pain and ointments – basically for one reason. It’s an anti-inflammatory.

Now – on paper, it can be used for several problems:

• muscle soreness
• bruises
• joint inflammation and pain

But here’s my question. Does Arnica work for pain – for real? I’m talking about pain in general – whether it’s your joint, knee or shoulder aching.

Does it really improve the pain visibly – or it’s just a fuss around it?

I analyzed both its positive and negative side. So if you’re looking for an honest answer about Arnica – you’re in the best place.

 

 

What Makes Arnica An Anti-Inflammatory

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The best way to explain this is by looking at the substances inside Arnica. There are basically 3 major compounds:

• sesquiterpene lactones (especially helenain)
• flavonoids
• caffeic acid derivatives

Now – the lactones are basically the responsible for the anti-inflammatory effect.

That’s because of 2 proprieties they have:

1. Reduce the number inflammatory molecules
2. Decrease blood vessels’ permeability

I know it sounds really complicated – but it’s not. 

Basically, the compounds from Arnica prevent inflammation. Also they make your blood vessels react harder to inflammatory molecules.

It’s pretty simple actually. But there’s 2 conclusions you can draw – based on this:

• Arnica works better for prevention – than for decreasing actual pain
• It’s not a very strong anti-inflammatory – compared to turmeric or Boswellia

So on paper – Arnica won’t be the best remedy for your pain. But even so, it can be effective. 

Now, that was the theory. It’s time to move to the real side – let’s check out the benefits and the downside of using Arnica for your pain.

 

 

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THE GOOD

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#1 – Good For The Long Term

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As I said before – Arnica isn’t the best pain reliever you can get:

• it’s not very strong – compared to others
• it doesn’t work instantly (1)

However, it seems like a better choice on the long term. What do I mean?

It’s more the kind of remedy that works in time. So you’re not going to see an instant relief – as long as you’re using Arnica alone. 

But if you have patience, this herb can help a lot – in terms of relieving pain. 

Now – here’s another thing I want to point out:

• Arnica is only used in creams
• So most products contain some other ingredients besides

That’s why you’re not going to find a pure Arnica cream. But that’s totally fine – because combinations work way better.

However, here’s the point – Arnica is a pretty good solution for pain, but only on the long term.

It needs a few weeks to work at its best – so don’t expect any miracle within a couple of days.

 

 

#2 – Used Worldwide

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In my opinion – that’s the best proof that Arnica isn’t a useless herb.

So here’s the thing:

• It’s one of the top ingredients in pain relieving creams
• Many lotions or ointments also contain Arnica
• Only menthol, camphor and essential oils are more popular

I’ve checked out pain lotions all around the world – and many of them contain Arnica.

Believe me – if it wasn’t effective, it wouldn’t be on that list.

Other than that, most creams from Amazon for pain contain this herb. 

However, I have rarely seen a pure Arnica lotion or cream. That makes me think that this herb alone isn’t that powerful.

 

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THE BAD

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#1 – Doesn’t Treat The Pain

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Here’s the thing – Arnica does relieve the pain, but it doesn’t treat it. What do I mean?

• it only masks the painful symptoms
• it doesn’t improve the joints (or the cause of pain) in any form (2)

But that’s basically for one reason – it’s only applied on the skin. 

In this way, only a small quantity gets to the painful spot. That’s enough to relieve the pain – but it’s not enough to help the joints in any way.

Besides, Arnica isn’t a very strong anti-inflammatory – I’ve said it before. 

So I wouldn’t recommend you to use this herb in 2 situations:

• if you want a fast, durable pain relief
• if you need a joint treatment

Basically – Arnica isn’t a joint treatment, it’s just a remedy for your symptoms.

That’s why your condition can worsen – if you’re only using Arnica. It manages to mask the symptoms, but the real cause still exists.

 

 

#2 – Dangerous To Use

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As I mentioned before – Arnica doesn’t treat the joints because it’s only applied on the skin.

So normally, using the supplements instead should lead to a better effect – right? Well, not really. 

That’s because Arnica is a very toxic herb – if you’re taking it in high doses. It can can some major problems:

• stomach problems and diarrhea
• increased bleeding
• even death

Now – lots of people use homeopathic products based on Arnica. They are totally safe – because the dose is extremely little.

However, higher doses are very dangerous. But what do I mean by that?

• Let’s take turmeric as an example
• An average dose of turmeric powder is around 1000 mg – it’s totally safe
• Well, 1000 mg of Arnica is probably lethal

That’s the reason why you can’t find this herb as supplements.

You can only find it in homeopathic tinctures – but as I said, the dose inside is insignificant. So it can’t possibly harm you.

 

 

#3 – Uncomfortable

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That’s actually a problem of creams in general – not of Arnica creams. But here’s what I mean:

• you can only find Arnica in creams and lotions
• they have to be applied every 2-3 hours
• that is pretty inconvenient, if you ask me

Let’s assume you work in an office, 8 hours per day.

If you’re using a cream – it means you have to apply it every 3 hours (on an average).

According to my calculations, you would have to apply the cream 3 times at work. So you would have to take 3 different breaks just to apply it. 

Does that seem comfortable to you? Because to me – it’s far from that.

That’s the reason why I don’t like creams, lotions and ointments:

• you have to apply them so frequently that you’re losing so much time

On the other hand – it’s a lot easier with supplements. That’s why my top recommendations for pain are always supplements.

 

 

My Verdict – So Does Arnica Work For Pain?

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Short answer: Yes it does – but it’s not among the best. Here’s what I mean:

• it only masks the pain temporary
• it doesn’t improve the cause of the pain in any way
• plus, it only works on the long term
• and last but not least, it’s better for prevention

Besides – you can only use it as a cream. It’s a very toxic herb, so you can’t find Arnica supplements or patches. 

So overall – it’s not very strong, but it’s also pretty dangerous.

It could be a solution for your pain, because it does work. But I wouldn’t advise you to try it – its benefits aren’t as major as of turmeric. 

That’s the herbal remedy I would recommend instead – the supplements make real miracles, if chosen right.

 

 

The Other Alternatives You Have

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As I said – I wouldn’t really recommend Arnica. I won’t repeat the reasons – but it’s simply not the best thing.

Now – my top recommendation is surely turmeric. But other that that, there are some other herbs that can help:

• Boswellia – is a very strong anti-inflammatory (#2 – after turmeric)
• Celery – is effective and pretty easy to find
• Bromelain – is a natural enzyme from pineapple
• Cherry juice – also helps inflammation
• CBD oil – is very powerful, even though it’s hard to find

That’s just a short list. If you’re looking for some others, here’s my full article on the best remedies for joint pain.

 

References:

(1) – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC539394/

(2) – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK67386/