Dealing with arthritis pain is a significant challenge for millions of people in the United States. If you are struggling to cope with pain in your hands or another part of your body, you may be wondering how to best obtain relief.
While a product such as arnica gel does not cure conditions, there is significant scientific evidence to suggest that it provides pain-relieving properties. If you suffer from osteoarthritis or a similar condition, using arnica gel may be worth a try.
Below is a guide that explains arnica gel as a product, and outlines some of its most significant benefits for people dealing with osteoarthritis.
What is Arnica?
Many people are not aware that arnica is a plant that looks very much like a daisy. The yellow flowers from this plant have incredible healing properties, and the plant itself belongs to the same family as sunflowers and dandelions.
Arnica is most often found in areas including Europe, Western North America, Northern Asia, and regions with similar climates and geographies. Arnica is a significant part of ancient cultures in the above-mentioned regions, as a herb for treating pain and inflammation.
People commonly use arnica for soft tissue injuries, sprains and strains, muscle soreness, and post-surgical swelling in modern society. The key benefit of arnica, however, is the way that it helps patients who are dealing with arthritis and similar conditions.
The components found in arnica include antioxidant compounds such as flavonoids and carotenoids. There are also essential oils and sugars, which are extremely helpful in the right combination.
One issue with arnica is that it does contain alkaloids and coumarins, which can be toxic in extremely high quantities. That is why doctors are very careful about how much arnica gel they prescribe to patients, especially those with chronic conditions such as arthritis.
Arnica and Arthritis
A recent clinical trial showed that in 79 people who have arthritis, arnica gel used two times a day for up to six weeks resulted in a significantly better outcome. Not only were most of the trial participants experiencing less pain, but they were also dealing with less stiffness and general disability.
Another trial compared how arnica gel and ibuprofen gel perform in relieving arthritis pain. The study, which involved 200 participants, indicated that when used three times a day for three weeks, arnica gel produces a similar outcome in patients who are using 5% ibuprofen gel.
Using Arnica for Arthritis Pain
Patients who are dealing with arthritic pain daily or on occasional days are constantly in search of a natural remedy. Arnica has a lot of promise in this respect, as it is a naturally occurring substance that has significant pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory properties.
The issue with arnica, however, is that it does contain a few compounds that are potentially dangerous in high quantities. That is why doctors recommend that anyone suffering from arthritis must consult a physician before they begin a regimen of daily arnica gel use.
Only a doctor who has extensive information about your arthritis diagnosis can provide you with a blueprint for safely using arnica for pain and inflammation relief. Your doctor can start you on a regimen, monitor the results after a few weeks, and then reassess accordingly.
Arnica Side Effects
Despite the noise around the potentially harmful compounds in arnica, only when patients use the gel significantly more than recommended by a physician can they suffer serious side effects.
Using arnica as indicated by a physician is extremely safe. Arnica should always be used topically, and never taken by mouth or mixed into food. When applied to the skin, arnica does not cause any rashes or negative reactions.
Patients with heart problems should talk to their doctor about the possibility of arnica raising their blood pressure or heart rate. Doctors can monitor a patient's vitals a few weeks after they start on arnica to assess if any minor or significant changes have taken place.
Live a Better Life
Receiving a diagnosis of osteoarthritis is enough to cause a lot of people grief. You may be wondering if your life can ever go back to normal, or if you will constantly have to worry about pain and discomfort in specific parts of your body.
While arnica gel does not have the capability to cure your condition, the product is extremely effective at improving your short and long-term well-being. If you are suffering from osteoarthritis pain or stiffness, using arnica topical gel may give you the relief you need.
Now that you have an option to obtain daily relief, you can go about living your life normally. Some activities may not be as easy as they were in the past, but you can live a full and satisfying life, both personally and professionally, without letting your osteoarthritis diagnosis get in the way.
