Is arnica effective in relieving symptoms of osteoarthitis?

In one RCT involving individuals with hand osteoarthritis, arnica gel (50 grams of tincture per 100 grams of gel, three times daily) was comparable to ibuprofen 5% gel in improving hand functional capacity, pain intensity, number of painful joints, and duration and severity of morning stiffness.^[1] Similar results were reported in another non-randomized study using a fresh-plant tincture of arnica twice daily for knee osteoarthritis.^[2] However, it’s important to note that neither study included a placebo comparison.