Pain Salves

 Having muscle pain is nothing new to me. I grew up with my mom using Bengay and she now practically bathes in it. "Great for your sinuses!" She often quips if you mention her version of perfume. I personally only use Bengay in the winter if I'm going to be going outside, since any form of icy will make me so cold. 

Now a days, I typically use Salonpas's deep relieving gel. Salonpas, however does best on small areas because its hard to move around on the body without getting too much on. 

A friend introduced me to Amish Origin's Deep Penetrating Pain Relief Greaseless Cream. A little goes a long way and its extra spreadable. No aspirin in this one, but it does a nice job. It feels and smells a lot like Bengay, but is closer to a liquid. It actually reminds me the most of a creamy version of a horse liniment we use at the barn.

I use Voltaren gel on anything that is swollen or freshly hurt to a decent degree. It is an NSAID, so you are not supposed to use a lot of it. Look at the box for the guidelines. It works great at healing up bruised areas fast. I use it semi-regularly on my ankle which gets bruised whenever my ankle overpronates too much.

Do note that any product with an NSAID in it can hurt your stomach, especially if you already take an NSAID like I do. Talk to your doctor about using any of these or other products.

Another note, I do not typically use lidocaine products like most of Salonpas's products. They simply numb the pain. Bengay and Amish Origin's pain cream have menthol and other products that increase blood flow to the area. They help my soothing your muscles, not by covering the pain. That is not to say lidocaine products don't have their place, but use them wisely.