The Two Best Topical Pain Relievers I've Found - That Are Worth a Road Trip
I have tried just about every pain relief product. Pills, balms, patches… And most of them aren’t that great! I have a high tolerance to drugs (once I had to have double the expected anesthesia before a surgery, and another time I had to get a nerve block becasue local anesthesia wasn’t working) and a lot of “effective” treatments are like placebos for me. For years I thought Tylenol and Advil WERE placebos and couldn’t understand why anyone used them! My point is, I am in near constant pain and when I tell you these two products WORK, please know that I’m not just saying that. Everyone is different, but if you also have the drug tolerance of a mammoth, these may be the products you’ve been dreaming about. One small catch, though, they are geographically dependent, so they may be a little harder to get, but they are worth the hassle.
First, Voltaren. This used to be prescription only, and recently it’s moved to OTC, and now there’s even generics available. We love progress! You can get Voltaren anywhere (I prefer Costco, obvs) with little to no issues, BUT if you are in Canada, you can get EXTRA STRENGTH Voltaren. The US just gets a measly 1%, but our neighbors to the north can get 2.32%, and it is worth it. I didn’t even know there were different concentrations of Voltaren until my rheumatologist suggested it, and she was RIGHT. I live in Seattle, and my parents live even closer to the border (close enough that they go to Canada for lunch or errands for their daughter) so it’s easy to just pop over and pick some up. It’s over the counter, so no need to be stressed about moving medication across the border. I did find some websites that sell extra strength in the US, but the markup is pretty significant. In Canada, a 100g tube of extra strength is less than $20 CAD, which is less than $15 USD. If you or someone you know is in or near Canada, this is a must. The 2.32% really makes a difference, just ask my elbows.
My second recommendation is only available in states that allow recreational marijuana dispensaries, which a quick Google revealed is far less states than I’d have guessed (just 11!). Dragon Balm was suggested to me by a friend of my mom’s, and I was skeptical at first, but I decided $30 was a decent price to potentially waste, so I got a stick of Dragon Balm to try out. I got extra strength, because again, my body is stubborn on a cellular level, and I was SHOCKED when it actually made a difference. I have some horrible pain in my right hip, that nothing helps (drugs, PT, stretching, braces? Nothing). A few swipes of Dragon Balm and it’s like I’ve had a hip replacement. I completely forgot what it was like to NOT have constant stabbing hip pain. Turns out, it’s fucking amazing.
Dragon Balm comes in a handy little stick that you just glide over the painful areas, and within minutes you feel relief. There’s a bunch of weed terminology that could explain more about how Dragon Balm works, but don’t know about any of that, so I’ll send you to this review that convinced me to try it. It does contain menthol and camphor but it doesn’t smell as much as say, Salonpas. It also smells a teensy bit weedy but not so much that you’d have to worry about where you’re wearing it. The first day I got Dragon Balm, I’d have relief for about 2.5 hours before needed a reapplication. With regular application, though, the effects last longer and I need less swipes per application. Also, do a little research into your dispensary if you can. I go to a woman-owned, social justice oriented shop that supports their employees and their community; it’s pretty easy to find details about a dispensary online.
It’s frustrating to suggest pain relief that’s only available in certain parts of the country or for people with certain connections or means. That being said, even if getting Voltaren Extra Strength and Dragon Balm required me to enlist a friend or take a trip to Vancouver, I’d do it. They are absolutely worth a little hassle.
