Pain relief cream is a type of OTC medication formulated to provide temporary relief from everyday aches and pains.
Pain relief cream is widely used by those with arthritis, as well as by construction workers, athletes, nurses who are on their feet all day and many others.
The benefits of pain relief cream extend beyond simply alleviating pain to include lifestyle and quality of life benefits.
16 Benefits Of Pain Relief Cream
Everyone wants to find effective ways to deal with pain. Pain relief creams provide it. Here are the most important benefits of pain relief creams as determined by our health and wellness experts.
1: Pain relief cream is affordable.
The cost of healthcare in America has gone through the roof in recent years. It’s an upward spiral that doesn’t seem likely to stop any time soon (1). Even a trip to the physical therapist or a visit from a masseuse will cost a hundred dollars or more. Perhaps a lot more. Pain relief cream, on the other hand, often costs less than a buck per application. It’s hard to argue with that kind of math.
2: Pain relief cream can reduce the pain of arthritis.
Pain relief creams are a good idea for most people. But two groups tend to use them more than others: athletes and those with arthritis. Athletes use it to deal with sore, painful muscles. Those with arthritis use it to alleviate the pain and swelling in their aching joints. If you suffer from either osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis you’ll find many of the creams on the above list will help.
3: Pain relief cream is non-addictive.
The nation is in the grip of an opioid crisis (2). People from all walks of life are finding themselves addicted to effective but highly dangerous painkillers. Pain relief creams contain no controlled substances, nothing addictive, and nothing that is going to come back to haunt the user down the line. They’re the safest type of pain relief available.
4: Pain relief cream works fast.
In many cases, you will start to feel the effects of the pain relief cream even before you finish applying it. That’s certainly the case when it comes to menthol-based pain relief creams. Others, including those that leverage CBD, begin to work in just a matter of minutes. As soon as the skin absorbs the cream. This fast-acting nature is one reason these creams make an attractive alternative to NSAIDs (3).
5: Pain relief cream can reduce inflammation.
Many pain relief creams contain omega-3 fatty acids that are known to reduce inflammation (4). Since inflammation is a major cause of pain for people with arthritis, pain relief cream can be a great thing to have on hand. But it’s not just for people living with arthritis. The fact is, most injuries result in inflammation of some sort. So it makes sense to have pain relief cream in the cabinet just in case.
6: Pain relief cream can also help dry, damaged skin.
Another benefit of pain relief creams is that many of them also make outstanding moisturizers. Many are free of allergens and include things like aloe vera gel (5). Also, a growing number of pain relief creams are employing CBD derived from hemp to achieve their results. And hemp oil is known to be an outstanding moisturizer.
7: Pain relief cream can produce long-lasting results.
While some of these creams specialize in short term relief, others can have a more long-lasting effect. We hate to keep circling back to CBD, but the fact is it can often provide relief from muscular pain for a full 24 hours. In fact, by the time the CBD wears off, you may well be past the point that the injured or bruised muscle hurts any more.
8: Pain relief cream has virtually no side effects.
Painkillers, even ones as seemingly harmless as acetaminophen and aspirin, can have harmful side effects. Too much acetaminophen can be harmful to the liver (6). While too much aspirin is known to have negative effects on the stomach (7). Even ibuprofen, long regarded as a safe alternative to aspirin, can be harmful to the kidneys (8). And we won’t rehash the dangers of opioids, which are too numerous to count.
9: Pain relief cream enables you to obtain targeted relief.
When you take aspirin or ibuprofen or opioid painkillers, your whole body receives the medication. There’s no way to avoid it. Pain relief cream, on the other hand, allows you to target a specific area of pain and deliver the relief to that point. The rest of your body is unaffected. This type of targeted relief is considered a healthier approach than to flood the whole body with medication just to relieve pain in a single muscle or joint.
10: Pain relief cream can help with menstrual cramps.
Millions of women endure excruciating pain from menstrual cramps. Relief can often seem a very elusive commodity for these women. That’s the bad news. The good news is that pain relief creams that contain CBD can be effective in dealing with the scourge of menstrual cramps (9). Simply apply some to the lower back or anywhere else the pain is manifesting itself.
11: Pain relief cream can go anywhere you go.
You can’t take the masseuse with you everywhere you go. And you can’t take a physical therapist along every time you leave the house. But you can take your pain relief cream. It’s another of the many benefits of this type of pain reliever. As long as the jar holds less than 3.4 oz of cream you can also take it with you on the plane (10). Hikers can even take it on the trail with them to deal with tired aching muscles.
12: Pain relief cream can be used whenever you need it.
Not only can you take pain relief cream with you wherever you go, but you can also use it whenever you need it. When it comes to NSAIDs, aspirin, and prescription painkillers, there are strict limits on how much you can take in a 24 hour period. There are no such limits on the use of a pain relief cream. If the arthritis in your hand acts up you can treat it on the spot, regardless of when you treated it last.
13: Pain relief cream is easier than swallowing pills.
If you’re among the millions of people who would rather put up with some pain than choke down another pill, pain relief cream is for you. With this type of cream, all you do is put a dab on your fingers and work it into the problem area. No pills to swallow, no discomfort or having to wash it down with a quart of water. Just rub it in and enjoy the relief.
14: Pain relief cream with CBD can help with chronic pain.
People who suffer from chronic pain (11) are often at grave risk of developing a dependency on painkillers. But their options are few and unattractive: either obtain relief and risk addiction, or deal with the pain. Fortunately, today’s pain relief creams are an effective alternative for people with chronic pain. It can allow them to enjoy relief with no chance of the cure being worse than the disease.
15: Pain relief cream may also help treat eczema and psoriasis.
Eczema and psoriasis are the most common types of inflammatory skin conditions. People who suffer from these conditions have few effective options when it comes to treatment. Fortunately, the CBD that is used in many pain relief creams has shown enormous promise as an effective and affordable treatment (12) for these vexing conditions.
16: Pain relief cream helps you maintain your active lifestyle.
Nobody wants to be (or should be) sidelined by the pain and stiffness of arthritis. And yet, sadly, many older individuals often find themselves preferring to stay inside rather than subjecting themselves to the pain of going out. In fact, the CDC estimates that as many as 24 million Americans are limited in what they can or will do because of arthritis (13). Pain relief cream can help ensure you don’t become part of that grim statistic.
Conclusion
Pain relief cream is safe, effective, non-addictive and affordable. Pain relief cream can be used to reduce pain and inflammation from arthritis as well as sore aching muscles resulting from athletic competition, strenuous exercise and physically demanding jobs like construction.