Do heat rubs help with your pain?

End the Pain, do heat rubs work?

Heat rubs contain capsaicin, the component in chili that gives rise to the heat. Working alongside methyl salicylate, capsaicin serves as a counter- irritant to temporarily distract the brain from thinking about the pain. Heat rubs are useful for acute injuries like sprains and arthritis flare ups, you only need to apply when it hurts and you are reluctant to take a painkiller. It is another option if you are unable to take anti- inflammatory medications such as Nurofen, and Panadol does not seem to be helping much.

Effectiveness of Heat Rubs

But for conditions such as plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendinitis, it may not be an effective treatment. First of all, both can be chronic conditions with an underlying cause. Whether it is caused by poorly fitting shoes, or overuse of the same muscles, you must first address the issue before the pain can slowly improve. While heat rubs provide some short term relief, there will be a point when the cream no longer works.

While heat rubs provide temporary relief, it does not actually address the real problem that is causing your pain. For sprained ankles, heat rubs work because they trigger more blood to flow towards the injury to promote quicker healing. But when your feet are already inflamed, it does not do anything more than distracting the brain from the pain.

Try Treating the Issue Instead

The pain from overworking a muscle or tendon can cause the tissue to rupture or break, when that happens you may find yourself unable to walk without excruciating pain. It is better to address the pain now, when you are still able to hobble around with the help of the heat rub. Treating feet pain should be addressing the root cause, and finding ways to prevent it from happening again. If you do, you may not have to suffer the smell of salicylate or capsaicin creams for long.