Best pain relief creams

Introduction

The swollen joints from arthritis can cause quite a bit of pain and limit your ability to move. If you have arthritis, you probably want as many pain relief options as possible.

Arthritis creams help relieve joint pain when applied to the skin. They can provide short-term but effective relief. These creams tend to work best on joints that are close to the surface of the skin, such as the joints in the hands or knees.

The main pain-relieving ingredients in arthritis creams are salicylates, counterirritants, and capsaicin.

Salicylates reduce inflammation (swelling and irritation). This helps decrease pressure and pain in the joints.

Capsaicin is a natural, odor-free element found in hot chili peppers. It reduces pain by blocking the skin’s pain receptors.

The arthritis creams most commonly found in drugstores include:

VAYANEX pain relieving cream

Bengay arthritis cream is used to relieve muscle and bone pain. It contains salicylates, camphor, and menthol. Bengay reduces inflammation and has cooling and warming effects.

BENGAY pain relieving cream

Bengay arthritis cream is used to relieve muscle and bone pain. It contains salicylates, camphor, and menthol. Bengay reduces inflammation and has cooling and warming effects.

ICY HOT vanishing gel

Icy Hot contains menthol and salicylates. It provides an initial cooling sensation followed by heat. Icy Hot is a vanishing gel, so the scent disappears quickly. It may be a good choice if you don’t like the smell of menthol.

Aspercreme odor-free topical analgesic cream

People who don’t like the smell of arthritis creams may prefer odor-free Aspercreme. It contains salicylates, but no counterirritants. It may also be a good choice if your skin is sensitive to counterirritant ingredients.

Myoflex odorless pain relieving cream

This odorless salicylate cream absorbs into your skin quickly without a typical lotion-like feel. Myoflex may be a good pain relief option if you don’t like the greasy feel of many creams.

Capzasin-HP arthritis cream

The active ingredient in Capzasin-HP arthritis cream is capsaicin. Its warming sensation is much milder than the one you feel when you eat peppers. Still, you should stop using this cream if you find that the capsaicin irritates your skin.

Sportscreme deep penetrating pain relieving rub

The active ingredient in Sportscreme is salicylate. This scented cream has a thicker consistency than most, so it takes a little more rubbing to massage it into the skin.