Our daily lives are made up of endless chores. Be it working from home, completing household tasks or commuting to work, we’re always up against a deadline. In doing all this demanding work day in and day out, our bodies undergo an enormous amount of physical stress – yes, even from just sitting and working for 8 hours in the office. Muscle pain like pain in the back, neck, legs and wrists have become an inevitable part of our routines. Research has shown that the prevalence of chronic pain in India is found to be 19.3%1. Among them, women have the higher prevalence of experiencing chronic pain on daily basis.
When pain strikes, you want an immediate go-to solution for it. Most people pop a generic painkiller as the first and last resort for muscle pain relief. However, pain pills when taken over a period of time, without a specific dosage being prescribed by a physician lose their efficacy and can be extremely harmful to the body.2 That is why it is smarter to consider a more effective solution for pain relief – topical pain relief gels for muscle pain.
Whether taken orally or applied to the skin, most pain relievers work to prevent the body’s chemicals from providing pain signals to the brain. Topical pain relief products are available in many forms today – most available as a compounded cream, a gel, or even as a pain-relieving spray, depending on the formulation.
Such topical pain relief products offer equal amount of relief or even more when compared to pills. Some of the multiple benefits3 they offer are:
- Precision targeting – Oral pain medication goes through the circulatory system and can affect the entire body. Topical pain relief products, on the other hand, offer localized pain relief as needed.
- Quick relief – Pain medications are absorbed via the circulatory system and naturally take longer to work. Topical pain relief products are absorbed through the skin on massaging them on the affected area and thus work relatively quickly.
- Safe for internal organs – Oral pain killers are said to have harmful effects on the digestive and excretory systems on long-term use. This doesn’t happen with topical pain relivers because of its property of transdermal (through the skin) absorption.
- Target multiple types of pain – Topical analgesics can address various kinds of pain. You can use one pain relief gel or spray for back pain, neck pain, muscle pain, knee pain, etc. They can also be used to treat muscle pain and inflamed tendons. Most oral painkillers only target pain and not inflammation.
- Reduced risk of drug tolerance – Pain relievers can be addictive. Your body can become used to the effects of oral analgesics and this phenomenon makes the medicine less and less effective over time. With topical pain relief products, there is low risk of such a phenomenon.
- No interference with other medication – Unlike some pain pills, topical pain relief gels and sprays do not interfere with other over-the-counter or prescribed medicines you may be taking.
- Fewer side effects – Painkillers are synthetic drugs that contain chemicals. Most topical pain relief products are made of natural ingredients that have few side effects. Painkillers, especially taken over a long period of time, can cause problems with the stomach, kidney, liver and blood circulation. Another common side effect of painkillers is sleepiness or drowsiness due to their sedative effect and this can make tasks like working or driving difficult.
Given these drawbacks, it is better to use topical pain relief products for mild to moderate muscle pain. Zandu Fast Relief Gel and Spray are such pain relief products made with natural active ingredients and recommended by physiotherapists. The 1.5 times stronger Gel provides relief in just 2 minutes and the Turbo Action Formula of the Spray provides instant relaxation from muscle stiffness. These products are proven to provide instant and long-lasting relief from back, neck, muscle pain, sprains and strains.
It is better to try topical pain relief products over oral pain- relieving drugs for mild to moderate muscle pain. However, if the pain doesn’t stop or reduce even after applying the product, you should immediately consult a doctor.
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