Homeopathic Remedy Found Ineffective at Pain Management
Researchers at the University of Exeter and the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital recently put homeopathic remedy arnica to the test and found it came up lacking.
Arnica tables are widely available in Great Britain and, according to the BBC, are “usually sold to control bruising, reduce swelling and generally help recovery after an injury or operation.”
Researchers studying the efficacy of arnica looked at patients about to have wrist surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome. They divided the patients into three groups: one group received a high dosage of arnica, a second group a low dosage, and the third group received a placebo.
Along with asking patients to keep a diary of pain and monitoring their painkiller usage, the researchers took photos of the patients’ wrist and used a computer to evaluate the extent of bruising and swelling.
The result was there was no significant difference in terms of pain, bruising, swelling, or painkiller usage between the three groups.
Lead researcher professor Edzard Ernst told the BBC, “I hope this research will help people to look for more effective treatments and save money by not buying homeopathic arnica.”
Source:
Homeopathic remedy ‘ineffective’. The BBC, February 3, 2003.
Tags: Homeopathy