What are the best topical pain relief products?
There are a lot of topical pain relief products on the market today, but they aren’t all created equal. The best pain relief cream isn’t going to be the same for each person. Choosing the best topical pain relief means finding the product that is best suited to your type of pain, considering how fast you need the pain relief to work, and other preferences. Use our product reviews to find the best topical pain relief for your body.
Pain relief for athletes
Pain relief cream can bring temporary relief from joint pain, arthritis, muscle pain caused by overdoing it in the gym or on the sports field, and other types of pain. It’s ideal for athletes who’ve pulled a muscle, or sedentary office workers who find their neck muscles aching at the end of a long day. Unlike oral medication, topical pain relief can be applied just to the affected area, which reduces side effects and increases the speed of pain relief.
Top 10 Muscle & joint pain relief brands for athletes
CBD MEDIC
CBDMEDIC products contain CBD Hemp extract and other active pharmaceuticals ingredients that help to alleviate pain. One of the good things about this brand beyond the fact that it has CBD in it is the fact that in some of its products Menthol and Camphor appear in relatively high but still, safe amounts to use which contribute greatly to pain relief.
Active ingredients: Menthol, Camphor
Contains Hemp: Yes, from natural, organic, THC-free industrial Hemp
Natural ingredients: Yes
Approvals: FDA-Monograph
How to buy: Over the counter, online
How fast does it work: Instantly
Tested on animals: No
Sore No More
Warm therapy, cold therapy, Sore No More has whatever you need to help you alleviate pain.
Active ingredients: Menthol, camphor, capsaicin
Contains Hemp: No
Natural ingredients: Yes
Approvals: FDA approved
How to buy: Over the counter, online
How fast does it work: Instantly
Tested on animals: No
IcyHot
IcyHot has a large variety of products that aim to eliminate pain. If ease of use and a reputable brand are the main things you are looking for, IcyHot will be the right choice for you.
Active ingredients: Menthol, Methyl Salicylate
Contains Hemp: No
Natural ingredients: No
Approvals: Not evaluated by the FDA
How to buy: Over the counter, online
How fast does it work: Instantly
Tested on animals: No
BENGAY
Probably the most known brand in the world for topical OTC pain relief. As one of the leading companies in its field in the world, it offers a huge selection of quality products that stop pain quickly and that are suitable for different uses in different situations.
Active ingredients: Camphor, Menthol, Methyl salicylate
Contains Hemp: No
Natural ingredients: No
Approvals: FDA registered
How to buy: Online
How fast does it work: Instantly
Tested on animals: Yes
PX
A less known brand that promises good results.
Active ingredients: Menthol, Camphor
Contains Hemp: No
Natural ingredients: No
Approvals: No information
How to buy: Online
How fast does it work: Can take up to 2 weeks to be effective
Tested on animals: No
Zostrix
This brand uses Capsaicin as its main active ingredient for pain relief. Capsaicin is an active component isolated from chili peppers.
Active ingredients: Capsaicin
Contains Hemp: No
Natural ingredients: yes
Approvals: Not evaluated by the FDA
How to buy: Over the counter, online
How fast does it work: Optimum pain relief occurs after 2-4 weeks of use
Tested on animals: No
Aspercreme
Aspercreme is a brand that took it upon itself to give various options to how pain can be relieved. That is why they have many products that use different active ingredients.
Active ingredients: Salicylate, lidocaine, capsaicin
Contains Hemp: No
Natural ingredients: No
Approvals: Not evaluated by the FDA
How to buy: Over the counter, online
How fast does it work: Instantly
Tested on animals: No
Sportscreme
Less known brand but very focused on pain relief for athletes.
Active ingredients: Salicylate
Contains Hemp: No
Natural ingredients: No
Approvals: Not evaluated by the FDA
How to buy: Over the counter, online
How fast does it work: Instantly
Tested on animals: No
Biofreeze
This brand is considered to be one of the most trusted and well-known brands on the US market.
Active ingredients: Menthol
Contains Hemp: No
Natural ingredients: No
Approvals: FDA registered
How to buy: Over the counter, online
How fast does it work: Instantly
Tested on animals: No
Tiger Balm
The Tiger Balm brand is one of the best known in the market, its success is not only based on the tiger icon that appears in their logo but also in the quality of their products which helps fight pain.
Active ingredients: Camphor, Menthol, Cajuput Oil, Clove Oil
Contains Hemp: No
Natural ingredients: Yes
Approvals: Not evaluated by the FDA
How to buy: Over the counter, online
How fast does it work: Instantly
Tested on animals: No
How does topical pain relief work?
All topical pain relief needs to be applied to the area that hurts, either by rubbing it on, spraying it, or squeezing it onto the skin.
You might be used to reaching for a pill when you’re in pain, but that’s not the only, or even always the best, way to deal with pain. You could benefit more from topical pain relief, especially if you’re suffering from minor pain and want to avoid the possible side effects of overly powerful oral pain medication. Topical pain relief refers to creams, gels, ointments, and sometimes even sprays that contain the active ingredients you need to ease your aches and relieve your pain.
Using local pain relief creams and balms instead of taking pills
Topical pain relief is a good choice for anyone who has difficulty swallowing pills. It’s also great for those who have a sensitive stomach that is easily irritated by popular oral analgesics, because pain relief cream is absorbed through the skin, instead of being metabolized and digested via the stomach. Muscle pain relief cream is best for back or shoulder pain, neck pain, leg pain, or pain in the joints.
Topical pain relief can ease minor aches fast
The best topical pain relief eases aches, pains, and soreness faster than a pill and with less fuss. If you have had a reaction to oral pain relief that uses NSAIDs, or want local, fast acting pain relief, topical pain relief is the best choice. To summarize, “Back and Neck” cream is our favorite and all-natural topical pain relief product. It has the highest proportion of active menthol and camphor out of all the products we tested, and it’s infused with organic, safe, non-psychoactive Hemp excract, making it the most powerful pain relief cream. Another option is Sore No More, which is also all-natural, using capsaicin which makes it effective over the long term, but provides a slow-acting pain relief effect. We also recommend IcyHot cream if you want to access a topical NSAID that reduces inflammation and pain, even though it’s not an all-natural product.Whether you choose a gel, spray, or cream, make sure that the treatment you buy is OTC registered, uses natural ingredients that aren’t tested on animals, and contains a high percentage of active pain relieving ingredients.
