Best Pain Reliever Creams and Gels reviewed

What is the best topical pain reliever? Especially when it comes to knee pain in hockey players.

Short version – check out the bottom of the page to see my unique product comparison table.

Now for the good stuff. I have researched and reviewed a number of products and come up with my top 4 recommended Topical Creams & Gels.

How do they work?

Pain relief creams are medications that are absorbed through the skin. The majority of them are creams or gels, but some come in the form of sprays. They work best on joints such as knees and elbows because the joint lies close to the skin. The benefit is that it is targeting the pained area, unlike an oral medication that is absorbed into the bloodstream and distributed through the entire body.

Are they effective?

Do they work? Opinion differs and there are a few doubts, some circles think that the relief is purely the placebo effect. Although I think that if the Placebo effect is minimising pain, then its working right?

A recent review by the Cochrane Collaboration of over 7500 adults in more than 30 different studies, determined that the use of pain relief creams is as effective as oral medication. This is evidenced through the number of positive reviews that these products receive.

I have also had ongoing trouble with knee pain, particularly when running, and have found a suitable cream that works for me – Placebo or not, the pain has been reduced significantly.

Common Ingredients

Topical pain medications typically have many ingredients, each targeting different symptoms. I have listed the main ingredients you’ll see in a lot of the medications. The ‘Active Ingredients’ used are predominantly Menthol, Capsaicin, Glucosamine & MSM.

Menthol

Creates a pleasant cooling sensation to the area where its applied. It doesn’t actually change the temperature of the skin, but attaches itself to a particular neural receptor. Menthol is an active ingredient in most of the best pain reliever products.

Menthol is a harmless substance that is included in pain relief creams, but doesn’t treat the underlying cause of the inflammation or injury.

Capsaicin

Capsaicin is the chemical that makes chilli peppers so fiery. The theory behind putting Capsaicin in pain relief creams is that it ‘maxes out’ your neurons by depleting the nerve endings of the important chemicals that send pain messages to your brain. Be super careful when using products with Capsaicin that you don’t get it in your eyes or other sensitive areas!

Camphor

Has a similar effect to Menthol, providing a pleasant cooling effect to the skin.

Salicylates

Are a chemical group (one of which is used in Aspirin) that have a mild anti-inflammatory effect. Methyl Salicylate is used in a lot of topical creams as studies have found that it is easily absorbed.

MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane)

MSM Occurs naturally in some plants and is present in small amounts in food. It is often used together with Glucosamine and/or Chondroitin Sulfate. Research has indicated that MSM may have an anti-inflammatory effect. Find out more information about MSM here.

Glucosamine

Glucosamine is one of the most popular non mineral, non vitamin dietary supplements in use today. It is used primarily to keep joint cartilage healthy. Glucosamine has been shown to reduce pain in mild to moderate osteoarthritis of the knee. Read more here.

CMO (Cetyl Myristoleate)

CMO is one of a group of fatty acids. It is popular in pain relief products especially when used together with Glucosamine as studies indicate it might help lubricate joints, soften tissues and increase flexibility. Read more about CMO here.

Chondroitin Sulfate

Chondroitin is a chemical normally found in cartilage around joints. It can aid in slowing down cartilage breakdown.

Are they safe to use?

The vast majority of people who use topical pain relief won’t have any side effects. Adverse side effects are rare and uncommon. Some people may experience a mild rash. If that is the case, cease using the pain relief immediately and ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice. The number one safety tip is to make sure you wash your hands thoroughly after applying the cream. Believe me, you don’t want to get that stuff anywhere near ‘sensitive areas’.

My experience

Quite some time after ACL reconstructive surgery, I had put on a lot of weight. My plan to get back to a happy level of fitness was to start running again. Unfortunately, I developed runners knee and at times couldn’t walk without a significant amount of discomfort. One day when I was in town doing my Christmas shopping, my knee was again giving me grief and I happened to be near a Pharmacist. So I walked in and purchased the first topical pain relief cream I could find. It happened to be for Arthritis sufferers, but the picture on the box was of a knee, so I figured it would work! Once home I applied a very liberal amount to my knee. Probably a lot more than I should have. About an hour later I realised that for once I wasn’t actually aware of my discomfort. That evening I went for a run, and for the first time in months ran the whole way! Placebo? Could be. But who cares?

The Best Pain Reliever

I have personally reviewed a number of top selling pain relief products on Amazon – see here – and the one product that stands out over all the others, and I would be happy to recommend just from shear volume of happy customers is Penetrex. Have a look at it yourself.

Table of Popular Topical Pain Relief products

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