The effectiveness of Arnica Montana treatment, in sports post-trauma ankle sprains.

Jurcău, Ramona; Jurcău, Ioana

Background. Arnica Montana (AM) is known for its beneficial effects in trauma with blood extravasations. Aims. The objective of the study was to evaluate the AM influence on the sensation of pain and local edema from sports post-trauma ankle sprains, in sport amateur practitioners. Methods. The chosen subjects (n=40) were selected based on the requirements of the study and randomly distributed in three groups, to which the following were administered: conventional therapy (C), with a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, Diclofenac 25 mg (A); homeopathic therapy with AM 200 CH (H); both homeopathic therapy with AM 200 CH and local phytotherapy with two creams containing AM (HP), Artrin and Ruticelit. On days 1, 3, 6 and 12 of treatment the following were evaluated: pain sensation, on the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the local edema size, by measuring the ankle sprain circumference. Statistical analysis was made on the basis of the Student t test. Results. Local pain and edema decreased more efficiently in H and HP compared to C, significant differences being on days 6 and 12 of therapy. Under the influence of AM 200 CH, alone or associated with AM creams, both the pain sensation and the inflammatory edema size were reduced more effectively, compared to A. Intra-group comparisons evidenced significant decreases both for the sensation of pain and the edema size in H and HP groups, on days 6 and 12. Intergroup comparisons showed significant differences on days 6 and 12 of treatment, between C-H and C-HP groups. Conclusions. The present study confirms the anti-inflammatory qualities of homeopathic and phytotherapic AM, the novelty being the use, in post-sport ankle sprain, of AM 200CH and its combination with two creams containing AM, Artrin and Ruticelit. In this combination, the effects on reducing the pain sensation and edema size, although without significant H-HP differences, were more effective in the examined amateur sport practitioners.

THERAPEUTIC use of Arnica montana; SPORTS injuries treatment; PHYSIOLOGIC strain; EXTRAVASATION; ANKLE injuries; SPORTS medicine

Palestrica of the Third Millennium Civilization & Sport, 2013, Vol 14, Issue 1, p33

1582-1943

Academic Journal