New Study Questions Effectiveness of Ben Gay, Aspercreme, and Other Popular Pain Creams
You know those creams you can buy at your local store to ease away minor muscle aches and joint pain? It turns out, they may not have any real effect, according to new medical research.
Researchers from Oxford University in the United Kingdom studied Aspercreme, Ben Gay, Icy Hot, and other brands of pain creams containing salicylates, which include aspirin and are used to reduce aches, inflammation, and fever.
The results of the study?
“I wouldn’t waste the money,” said lead researcher and Oxford biochemist Andrew Moore. “You might as well rub your skin with a bit of spit.”
Hundreds of Pain Patients Studied
The researchers focused their review on about 700 people who suffered acute sports injuries such as muscle sprains and strains, as well as 579 people who suffered from chronic pain, including old sports injuries and arthritis.
While the pain creams seemed to work better and provide more pain relief to victims of acute, sudden injuries, the benefit went away quickly, the researchers said. Most study participants could not tell the difference between the actual pain creams and inactive placebo creams used for the research.
The remedies proved slightly more effective at treating arthritis, old sports injuries, and other forms of chronic pain. In all six studies evaluated by the researchers, 45 percent of participants using the rubs said their pain decreased by half within two weeks, compared with just 28 percent of those given a placebo, the study said.
But generally speaking, the improvement in patients with lingering, chronic pain provided by the sports creams was not enough to justify their use, the researchers said.
Other, Better Treatments are Available
For example, the salicylate-based rubs “compare poorly” with topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which contain ibuprofen or diclofenac and are available by prescription drug as Voltaren gel, the scientists said. Those products may be better options for patients with both acute and chronic muscle and joint pain.
“The point is, you go to any pharmacy in the U.S. and find tons of these things, but they don’t work,” Moore said in a written statement, according to a Reuters Health report.
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