M.Tech. / The homoeopathic medicine Arnica montana is often prescribed in cases of trauma, before and after surgery and in cases where there is bleeding. Many conventional medical practitioners, however, do not advise its use for the above complaints due to the herbally prepared Arnica montana mother tincture containing coumarin derivatives which are said to have an anti-coagulant effect and cause a potential risk of bleeding. The aim of this particular study was to investigate the in vivo effect of the complex remedy Arnica montana composing of potencies 6C, 30C and 200C on coagulation and bleeding. This study forms part of a three part in vivo study to determine the effect of homoeopathic Arnica montana in various potencies on blood coagulation. The effect of Arnica montana on blood coagulation was evaluated by measuring the Bleeding Time (BT), activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (aPTT) and Prothrombin Time (PT). This is a double blind, placebo controlled trial with a total sample group of eighty healthy participants between the ages of eighteen to thirty five. As this study forms part of a three part study the total sample group was shared. Twenty participants were allocated to the placebo group and received 20% ethanol. Twenty participants were allocated to the experimental group and received the complex homoeopathic preparation of Arnica montana 6C, 30C and 200C in 20% ethanol. The Bleeding Time was measured by a trained medical technologist and blood samples underwent coagulation tests comprising of aPTT and PT. The study was conducted over a period of two weeks at the UJ Doornfontein Campus Homoeopathy Health Centre. After two weeks another venous sample was drawn by the phlebotomist and sent away for the same coagulation studies as described above. The technologist again measured the Bleeding Time. Results obtained from the Prothrombin Time, activated Partial Thromboplastin Time and Bleeding Time tests pre- and post medication were compared and v analysed. Analysis of data was done using SPSS 15.0 (Statistical Package for Social Sciences). Results showed that complex remedy Arnica montana 6C, 30C and 200C had no significant effect on blood coagulation and bleeding in vivo.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uj/uj:7163 |
| Date | 04 July 2011 |
| Creators | Naude, Mariska |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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