Do Arnica and Bromelain REALLY help with swelling or is it just hogwash?

Hi ~ Great question. There are so many supplements out there it can be hard to know which ones actually work! At our practice we do recommend Arnica Montana prior to many procedures. I feel it does help with bruising less so with swelling. It is also important to stop other supplements and medications that can increase your risk for bleeding. Good Luck!

Yes! Really, really does work! At the same time avoid salt, alcohol, aspirin/Advil, Vitamin E to decrease swelling and post op bleeding.
But the arnica (sublingual) and Bromelain helps to decrease postop edema/swelling.
Also, lymphatic drainage will also help to decrease swelling post-op...start about 10 days to two weeks postop. Good luck! 

Thank you for the great question. My opinion on this is basically "every little bit helps." There is a marginal improvement in the realm of swelling and bruising with Arnica and Bromelain. I give a combination formula to all of my eyelid surgery, face and neck lift, and rhinoplasty patients. The restrictions around medications and supplements that can thin your blood is even more important, however. We tell patients to avoid aspirin, ibuprofen, Vit E, fish oil, Omega-3, ginger/ginseng/ginko and St. John's wort. Take care and best of luck!

There have never been any large-scale scientific studies, but in my practice, I always recommend that patients take Arnica and sometimes Bromelain.  Why?  Because postoperatively, my patient rarely have bruising beyond what I would expect as the result of my careful and precise surgery. Here is a helpful fact:  it *has* been proven that placebos work -- and even if a patient is given a placebo and told it is a placebo, it still works.

Consensus with respect to these homeopathic drugs is hard to come by.    Studies of these drugs may not achieve the gold standard of a double blinded study with appropriate controls.  However, with the information available, it does appear that these do help.  Best wishes, Dr. T.