The respectable face of woo. (Nelsons Arnica 30c (Aah-nicker) - 84)

Member Name: Spudtastic

Product:	Nelsons Arnica 30c (Aah-nicker) - 84
Date:	02/08/09 (82 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Placebo effect, handy dispenser.

Disadvantages: Expensive, ineffectual beyond placebo effect, risks posed by avoiding treatment in favour of these.

Arnica is a herbaceous plant belonging to the sunflower family. Its roots have anti-inflammatory properties, although the efficacy of these properties is yet to be conclusively determined by clinical trials. However, make no mistake; when considering Nelsons Arnica (available in 30c or 6c dosage), the effect of the Arnica plant itself upon inflammation and bruising is entirely irrelevant. Nelsons Arnica is a homeopathic remedy, and there are two basic principles behind homeopathy. One is that "like treats like"; a substance that causes symptoms in a healthy person will cure the same symptoms in an ill person. The second is "succussion"; the symptom-causing substance undergoes a process of serial dilution until there are effectively no molecules of the original substance remaining in the remedy, and we are told that this actually enhances the therapeutic properties of the agent. This does sound absurd, but do remember that 200 years ago, when the idea was first proposed by Samuel Hahnemann, the scientific method did not exist as it does today and so it did perhaps seem like a feasible form of medicine. In 2009, however, I'm amazed that homeopathic remedies are still so widely used.

Nelsons Arnica comes in a tiny purple container with a "clikpak" dispenser. There are 84 pills and in order to release these, you press the bottom of the container and catch them in the cap. This is to prevent you from touching the pills, as instructions on the container insist that they must be tipped "directly into the mouth without being handled" because handling "may affect the effectiveness of the remedy"; a rather curious warning. The size of the container and the design of the dispenser mean that these are very easy to carry around if you feel the need. You can buy Nelsons Arnica from Nelsons stores, as well as from other alternative health merchants such as Holland and Barrett and some pharmacists, such as Boots.

As a skeptic, Nelsons Arnica has no effect on me whatsoever, positive or negative. This is because double-blind randomised controlled trials have consistently shown that homeopathic remedies are no more effective than placebo pills, and as I know exactly what homeopathy is this particular placebo will not work. For this reason I would not recommend purchasing these. At best, they are harmless sugar pills that, through the placebo effect, might make you feel a bit better, but beyond that there is no medical benefit to Nelsons Arnica. The real danger posed by these pills is that people will sidestep real medicine or medical advice in favour of them (and this is heightened by the fact that Boots, a pharmacist that is generally well trusted, supply them), and I would highly recommend that you saved your £5.

Summary: Their efficacy does not go beyond that of a placebo and these should be marketed as such.