Arthritis Pain Relief Cream - Does it Help?
There are many arthritis pain relief creams to choose from. Some are based on
natural ingredients such as menthol, emu oil, boswellia, glucosamine or
capsaicin. others contain the active ingredient salicylate.
Arthritis creams are preparations applied to directly to the skin. Many of these arthritis cream products
can be purchased over-the-counter without a prescription. They are quite effective for
relieving minor aches and muscle pain, but are not effective enough on their own
to fully address severe arthritis pain. Many of them don't penetrate deeply
enough to reach the affected area.
Pain relief arthritis creams work by penetrating the skin directly at the
site of the pain. This can be the knees, shoulders, hands or virtually anywhere
on the body. The advantage to these products is they don't have to be
swallowed like oral medication, so don't have to pass through the digestive
system, kidneys or liver.
Keep in mind though if these topical arthritis creams contain drugs such as
salicylate, these can enter the body and thus the bloodstream causing the same
side effects as if the drug was taken by mouth. If you're allergic to aspirin,
or are taking blood thinning medications, don't use arthritis pain relief creams
that contain salicylate.
Examples of arthritis creams containing salicylate are Aspercreme, Sportscreme
and Mobisyl.
Some arthritis pain relief creams contain nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs. These are only available by prescription. Be very careful if you're
already taking NSAIDS, as these can add to the level of the drug in your system.
As these creams or gels have to be used several times a day, the ones
containing natural ingredients are safer. We'll look at some of them here.
Arthritis pain relief creams containing Capsaicin work by removing
Substance P from nerve cells. Substance P is responsible for transmitting
pain messages. This does give good relief in most cases, but always wash your
hands after applying. These are particularly effective when used on the elbows,
fingers & knees.
Capsaicin creams are made from chilli peppers and can severely
burn your eyes or mouth if they come in contact with these areas. If using for
arthritis pain in your hands, let the cream or get fully absorb for 30 minutes
before washing off thoroughly.
When using capsaicin creams, avoid using a heat pad just afterward as it may
burn your skin.
Some well known brands are ArthriCare, Icy Hot, Capzasin and Zostrix.
Don't use capsaicin creams if you're allergic to chillies and don't use on
irritated or broken skin. If you're breast feeding, stay away from capsaicin
creams for obvious reasons!
Arthritis pain relief creams using emu oil are usually well tolerated
and are also very effective. They tend to cost more as genuine emu oil is
imported from Australia. Emu oil cream penetrates the skin easily.
Analgesic creams containing menthol or eucalyptus oil are also useful for
mild arthritic pain, but have to be re-applied quite frequently. However these
types of arthritis pain relief creams are quite safe. Just avoid the eyes!
While these various cream and gels have helped many arthritis sufferers, they have to
be used all the time as they have no lasting effect. Don't rely on them alone
to
manage your arthritis pain. Always follow the directions on the package and stop
using them if you notice any allergic symptoms or skin rashes developing.
Why not sign up for your free arthritis course! This
course is in 6 parts and examines types of arthritis, managing pain safely, what
to eat (and not to eat), the best exercise for arthritis, myths and legends
debunked and finally the futures looking bright!
This course can save you $$$ by giving you information you may not be aware
of. Information the drug companies may not want you to know!
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