Topical Pain Medications
Your body is a temple and when that temple starts to crumble and fall, we all need help. After a really active day or a sporting event, our muscles and joints usually scream with agony. After a very warm bath with Epsom salts, towel off and have a topical joint and muscle cream ready to spread on before your pj's. They do work and it is often better than grabbing another pain killer.
- Creams that make your skin feel hot and cold intermittently- they are called counterirritants because they contain irritable ingredients such as menthol, wintergreen or eucalyptus oil. These ingredients make your skin feel both hot and cold which will then take your mind off of the arthritic pain.
- Analgesic Creams- which contain aspirin which has pain relieving powers. These topical analgesics are very strong and they are absorbed right into the skin. They are excellent for sports injuries or sport- related arthritis. Examples are Bengay, Aspercreme and Sportscreme.
- Creams that are made from chili pepper seeds. These seeds contain a strong compound called capsaicin. It forms a burning sensation and they are most effective for arthritic pain which is close to the skin's surface. It is meant for fingers, knees and elbows and joints where it can be rubbed into. Examples are Capzasin and Zostrix
- Other over- the- counter creams and sticks or lotions-1 have tried Lakota, ActivOn and a new one called Voltaren which contains diclofenac which is an NSAID and should be used only for a short period of time. It works great! There are many others and they all deliver the same type of support; that is, warm the area and soak in to the joints and muscles. These creams should be used with a good back rub.
- Gels and patches can be made up using the analgesics and diclofenac. They can be placed in the affected area and kept there for up to 12 hours.
Creams, gels and patches can be very effective but only for a short while. Their effectiveness wears off after an hour or so. There was one lotion in a bottle called Heet which was offered in Canada for a short while. My husband swore by that stuff and had me apply it with the brush every night on his back. It would soothe him all night, wafting in and out all the next day as well. It was very effective in helping him and his aches and pains from construction work.
