Buy Walking VideosMuscle Pain? Don’t Waste Your Money on Bengay
If you’ve been exercising heavily lately, you might have been tempted to use a topical analgesic like BenGay, but according to a recent study, it might not help you much more than a placebo.
They looked at 16 studies involving nearly 1,300 patients using creams containing salicylate – a close drug relative of aspirin.
Results from four of the studies showed topical salicylates performed better than dummy creams against acute pain, but when lower quality studies were excluded, the results were not statistically significant.
When it comes to rubefacients they do not work well enough to take any notice of them.
As a child, my grandmother used Icy Hot every night before going to sleep. The smell of that ointment reminds me of her to this day. It almost seemed like the act of rubbing in the balm was far more healing than the balm itself.
If you have been exercising heavily, take the time to give yourself a little massage and see if that helps ease the pain. If you feel any relief from using BenGay, it’s more likely coming from the act of rubbing it in than from the cream itself.
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July 10th, 2009 at 12:12 am
I was always suspicious of these products and have steered clear of them. It is good to know that my concerns may have been right all along.
Many thanks for the info
Hugo