[roddersm]

Has anyone tried using either arnica cream or tiger balm on tendon injuries? If so do they improve recovery or reduce pain? I've heard that they can speed up recovery and reduce pain and scar tissue but haven't heard of any climbers who've tried them. Any info or feedback would be cool...

[Hasbeen]

I've used Tiger Balm and Arnica.

Tiger Balm is supposed to increase circulation, which should improve healing times.
Same as the hot part of hot/cold treatment as reccommended by Sports Therapists and Physios.
It certainly feels like it is warming, but it may just be increasing bloodflow to the skin, hence the warm feeling.
For a method that really does increase circulation, the microwaveable hot/cold packs are great.

Have used Tiger Balm to help warm up certain problem areas.  E.G. finger tendons and ankle tendons before activity, don't know how effective it is really.  First came across using it on fingers in the very early 80's. 

We also used "Tincture" then too!


Arnica is supposed to reduce bruising, not sure about use with tendon injuries, it may reduce swelling, but not sure about that.
Cream applied directly to the site is good.
There is a bit of a fuss about homeopathic remedies at the moment.
Arnica pillules contain virtually no Arnica, it is a poison.  It hasn't prevented me using them though.

My view on homoeopathic remedies is....  If you think they will work, they probably will.  If you think they won't they probably won't.

A Sports Therapist did reccommend (amongst many other treatments) Red Tiger Balm for my damaged Achilles Tendon and a few other muscle/tendon injuries following a bicycle/40 tonne lorry interface.

I think the use of these  preparations did reduce pain a little, but it was more effective at improving rate of repair.

Don't think either of them will reduce scar tissue.  I think that will need treating differently as a later stage of recovery.

I've no medical quals  I'm just saying what's worked for me.

If in doubt seek out a good ST or Physio, it's money well spent.

Hope that helps.

Hope you have a speedy recovery.

[Houdini]

I run myself down w/ arnica massage oil after a heavy run.  This is applied to anything that bitching.  It works much better than Calendula.  Whenever I have a pro sports massage, arnica is the oil of choice.  It works on sprains very well.  No idea about tendons.

Tiger balm is good for relieving irritation from mosquito bites and not much else.

[SA Chris]

I run myself down w/ arnica massage oil after a heavy run. 

Sounds painful

[ben87]

I've used arnica gel. I was skeptical at first but I think its a miracle gel. Using it on my shoulder at the moment and it reduces the pain.

Give it a go.

[Houdini]

I RUB myself down.  Haha, sorry.

[slackline]

I've found Ibuprofen gel to be useful when I've had painful swelling (of my knees from walking too far carrying too much).

[rodma]

For my fingers I like Arnica gel, it's pretty cheap and works slightly better than brufen gel for me.

I also use Ruta Grav cream once the swelling has reduced, it seems to get rid of that "crunchy" feeling

[erm]

I found Arnica cream to do nothing for swelling or pain in the joints of my fingers. On the other hand ibuprofen gel used the same way did reduce the pain.

[Sloper]

As far as I know arnica etc is just an expensive placebo.

Variants of deep heat; as I recall nothing more than an irritant that causes increased blood flow to the localised area.

NSAID have I think I'm right in saying some affect and are probably much more effective than pseudo hippy mumbo jumbo.

By the way my should and elbow hurt, which isn't good a week before a font trip; what do you recommend, beer, wine or spirits?

[webbo]

trying using your other hand

[Houdini]

As far as I know arnica etc is just an expensive placebo.

You know very little.

[Sloper]

Are there any randomised control trials to show the efficacy of arnica?  I'd be interested to see anything that evidences the beneficial affects, if there are any then I'll be going right out to buy some.

[Houdini]

I use it all the time Tom, it's been used for centuries.

[Sloper]

People use the power of prayer Paul and have done for millenia, doesn't mean it doesn't work.

Praying there isn't a rct showing statistically significant outcomes etc

[Houdini]

Found this about the product Atrogel:


Arnica Gel, as Atrogel was previously known, has been proven in research to be as effective as the pharmaceutical product Ibuprofen gel.

A clinical trial was carried out to look at the effectiveness of a gel made from fresh, organic Arnica Montana flower heads, against one of the leading pharmaceutical gels, Ibuprofen, with very positive results.

Twenty doctors in Switzerland undertook a strictly controlled study involving 204 patients using A.Vogel Arnica Gel and Ibuprofen gel. Improvement in two main areas had to be achieved for the study to be successful, and in both cases Arnica Gel proved to be as effective as the pharmaceutical pain-killer.

In addition, of the patients who assessed efficacy as 'very good' or 'good', more patients in the Arnica group (64.0%) expressed satisfaction with their gel than in the Ibuprofen group (58.8%). The investigators also generally evaluated the efficacy of the Arnica Gel as better than that of the Ibuprofen gel. 

[Reference: Choosing between NSAID and arnica for topical treatment of hand osteoarthritis in a randomised, double-blind study by Reto Widrig, Andy Suter, Reinhard Saller and Jörg Melzer Rheumatology International Volume 27, Number 6 / April 2007]
Atrogel Arnica Gel
Ingredients:

Active ingredient: fresh Arnica flowers. 1 g of gel contains 500 mg of extract which is equivalent to an average of 160 mg fresh Arnica flowers.

[Jaspersharpe]

I've used arnica since I was a kid on bruises, minor sprains etc. It works, as in, you heal more quickly. My Mum introduced Smythe to it, he was sceptical as fuck but once he'd tried it was an overnight convert, extolling the virtues to all and sundry. I still use the massage balm.

[ben87]

http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/acm.2007.0560

Study on arnica vs. Diclofenacs.

[Sloper]

OK, not a medic but what about arnica vs placebo?

[slackline]

People use the power of prayer Paul and have done for millenia, doesn't mean it doesn't work.

Praying there isn't a rct showing statistically significant outcomes etc

Well, praying doesn't seem to have helped you in this instance....

JOYCE CR, WELLDON RM. (1965) The Objective Efficacy of Prayer : A double-blind Clinical Trial. Journal of Chronic Diseases 18:367-377

Cox BM. (1997) Testing the Power of Prayer Science 276(5319):1630-1631

Roberts L, Ahmed I, Hall S. (2000) Intercessory prayer for the alleviation of ill health. Cochrane Review 2:CD000368.

Palmer RF, Katerndahl D, Morgan-Kidd J. (2004) A randomized trial of the effects of remote intercessory prayer: interactions with personal beliefs on problem-specific outcomes and functional status. Journal of Alternative Complementary Medicine 10(3):438-48

Roberts L, Ahmed I, Hall S. (2007) Intercessory prayer for the alleviation of ill health. Cochrane Review 2:CD000368. (Update of above 2000 review)

Roberts L, Ahmed I, Hall S. (2009) Intercessory prayer for the alleviation of ill health. Cochrane Review 2:CD000368. (Update of above 2007 review) Current Review in PDF

[slackline]

OK, not a medic but what about arnica vs placebo?

Placebo is a well documented effect, there are papers out there 

[Houdini]

[Sloper]

I know placebo is well documented, just not sure about arnica re is efficacy for pain relief and or reducing swelling & promoting healing.

[slackline]

I know placebo is well documented, just not sure about arnica re is efficacy for pain relief and or reducing swelling & promoting healing.

There you go...

C Stevinson, V S Devaraj,  A Fountain-Barber, S Hawkins, E Ernst (2003) Homeopathic arnica for prevention of pain and bruising: randomized placebo-controlled trial in hand surgery Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine 96:60-65

[Houdini]

I think it's one of those things you just have to try and see if it gives you any relief, as we're all different and people are more sensitive or allergic than others.  I'm not much of a New Ager myself and rarely have anything to do w/ homeopathy/Ayerveda etc.. but I do get limited relief from rubbing this product



on my exhausted body after a good slog.  I don't look for more than limited relief as I know it's topical and probably not as good as modern medicine, but it's good not to pop pills willy nilly, I think.  Always found ibuprofen a bit iffy on my guts.  But as I was just reading, people have died from consuming arnica tablets.