Penetrex Joint & Muscle Therapy - Soothing Comfort for Back, Neck, Hands, Feet - Premium Whole Body Rub with Arnica, Vitamin B6 MSM & Boswellia - Non-Greasy 4oz Cream

Eight rods, three screws, and a plate in my back and still there are problems including another scoliosis, stenosis, arthritis and muscle spasms. I have a torn tendon in my right ankle, neuropathy from the knee down in both legs caused by the back surgery, and two knees in need of immediate replacement.With all of my constant pain and the ridiculous anti-opioid entanglements doctors are facing nowadays, pain is a constant bedfellow of mine. The doctors AND pharmacists live in fear of being found with any small irregularity. Thanks a lot to those who use opioids for getting high and for "recreation," that now we constant and obvious sufferers must now live with excruciating pain, and for what?I am not out of pain for one single second. I have bought every single over the counter product available in the way of creams, ointments, and soaks. I cannot take NSAID's because of a hemorrhage caused by Celebrex.I ordered a jar of this some time back and the routine of all those separate applications and then washing my hands after each use got old quickly. I am not one for regiments, unfortunately, and didn't use it regularly.Time went by. I researched pain management again and found that Penetrex comes in a roll-on. THIS IS WHAT YOU NEED! The roll-on leaves your hands clean and the rollerball allows you to RUB the Penetrex in deeply. THAT is important. Really get that ball into the swelling or painful areas. AND remember to SHAKE the container each and every time before use to distribute the ingredients. I believe that not shaking it regularly may be the cause of some people saying that the roll-on doesn't work as well as the cream. SHAKE IT and it's good until the last "roll"!No, this is NOT expensive if this helps you get a bit more done around the house or helps you have less pain! The most remarkable thing this roll-on has done for me is with my right ankle. The torn tendon (missed by an orthopedic surgeon for months and until physical therapy did no good!) leaves my ankle swollen to the size of about two to three jumbo eggs. REALLY! By the time I was getting in bed at night with the neuropathy going crazy and my ankle hurting like a sledge hammer had hit it, sleep was more than elusive!THREE OUNCES goes really far so don't worry about what looks like a high price. It is very reasonable for the many, many days of help you will get. You are applying exactly where you want it and nowhere else. I have three of these roll-on's now: one for the bathroom for after showering, one where I watch TV, and one in the kitchen. By twenty-four hours after my first application and applying it about three other times during that time, my ankle was NOT swollen to its usual size. It was about the size of ONE jumbo egg. WOW! The relief was awesome! I also roll this all over the tops of my feet at night to calm down the burning and aching caused by the neuropathy. My knees are MUCH better too. I really push the ball between my knee cap areas as much as I can and the pain diminishes within ten minutes or so and stays away pretty well until I reapply four to six hours later. KEEP IT HANDY so there is no excuse for not using REGULARLY. It is the sum of the total, not a hit or miss application here and there although even those help! But for swelling and inflammation, it is the regular application which will mount up on really getting into the problems caused by neuropathy and arthritis and the swelling associated with injuries or chronic problems.I recommend the roll-on over the cream, big time! It's easy to grab and easy to apply. There are no trips to the sink to wash your hands. This will get your pain level down several counts on a 1 to 10 scale. The KEY is to reapply when you are supposed to, not just when the pain comes back.....it is always harder to treat full-fledged pain than when it is just starting to grow. Remember that those NSAID's you might be depending upon for their anti-inflammation effects come with MAJOR warnings about internal bleeding. NSAID's kill hundreds of people each year. I should know. I almost died and was hospitalized for five days! I had absolutely NO warning until I passed out with small intestinal bleeding! And trying to keep the incessant search going in getting adequate pain management in today's anti-opiate use atmosphere is a battle you will not win! No one does for MANY reasons! You will most likely spend thousands upon thousands of dollars seeking relief.Do I still need knee replacements? Oh, yeah, I do. There is probably no getting around that, unfortunately. But using Penetrex has bought me several hours a day when I am not in excruciating pain in my back, my knees, and both legs and both feet with the surgery induced neuropathy, and my three, jumbo-sized egg's ankle! The reviews you have come upon which praise Penetrex ARE true. I know they are if Penetrex did for them what it has done for me. I'm really glad I read them.I know a placebo effect when I see one and have researched them. I have tried so very many, many things for pain relief. I believe arnica, in this product, is a well researched pain reliever, bruise healer, and swell reduction botanical. Penetrex does NOT have a placebo effect, at least for me, but an effect when compared with similar products, actually DELIVERS relief and swelling reduction. I first heard of arnica when a friend had necessary plastic surgery years ago on her face and her doctor recommended arnica for the bruising and swelling. We could almost watch the bruising fading and the swelling go down! But it is the MIXTURE of these particular ingredients which works the best as I have tried "straight" arnica.I hit the top of my hand really badly this morning. After icing it, I applied Penetrex to the broken vein area. You know, those big veins on top of your hands? One popped! So far, this has kept the pain in check and the bruising way down. And I mean amazingly so, considering that the vein popped!And oh, NO CREEPY hot or cold sensations anywhere you apply it!!!! GEEEEZ, I got sick of those fake-like feelings! I dreaded the fake icy cold or the fake heat of the chemicals used in that type of product. And the odor of Penetrex is minimal and dissipates too! That is NOT so with a lot of the products I have bought in the past!You honestly have nothing to lose by trying this out. The company wants you happy and stands by this product with a satisfaction pledge which is absolutely consumer friendly. There is an enclosure which comes with your order guaranteeing your satisfaction or your money back and that is handled EASILY if that is what you decide to do. But I would suggest really trying for a few days before I made that decision. And keeping this on hand for bruises is enough to keep the product for future use if you find it doesn't help with what you bought it. Again though, use it at least four times a day, day after day, for best results. The reduction of swelling, alone, relieves a LOT of the pain. My ankle attests to that!I LOVE MY PENETREX! My life has been changed and I am not constantly, constantly, constantly thinking about what is hurting, and where! My every single thought is not now about pain! My brain can now actually think about other things as I WALK more easily about the house.If you try this, and really give it an honest "go," I am hoping that it gives you the same help it has given me. Pain can dominate our lives and take most of the joy out of it too! Less pain means a better and happier life!

[ REVIEW & INGREDIENTS LIST UPDATED: JANUARY 2016 ]I have a rheumatic condition and a pinched nerve on my neck causing carpal tunnel/median nerve/ulnar nerve pain, shoulder pain, joint pain, stiffness and peripheral neuropathy. I bought the best selling products in the pain relief category along with cold pads, warm pads, computer gloves, a traction device + pillow, and supplements; each of them carefully researched. I've been using them on a daily basis for a little over a year now. If anyone's interested, I will keep the review updated with my progress.List of INGREDIENTS as of January 2016PENETREX:Note: The ingredients list has been updated. No more Parabens! (Thank you, Biomax!)Water (Aqua), Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetyl Esters, Steareth-20, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM/DMSO2), Glucosamine Sulfate, Ethoxydiglycol, Methyl Gluceth-20, Cetyl Myristoleate, Pentylene Glycol (and) Sea Whip Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Boswellia Serrata (Frankincense) Oil, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil, Cinnamomum Camphora (Camphor), Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Dipotassium Glycyrrhizinate, Dimethicone, Ammonium Acryloyl-Dimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, DMDM Hydantoin, Iodopropynyl ButylcarbamateBIOFREEZE:Note: There are 2 different versions of Biofreeze now: Original & Colorless.The new colorless version is free of parabens and propylene glycol and made with USP grade ingredients and it seems to contain the same ingredients listed below, without the artificial dyes and P.Glycol.The new formula has 4% natural menthol and a number of botanical ingredients including Arnica Montana Flower Extract (Arnica), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract (Aloe), Boswellia Carterii Resin Extract (Boswellia), Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract (Calendula), Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract (Green Tea), Arctium Lappa Root Extract (Burdock), Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract (Lemon Balm).Inactive Ingredients (Original Version): Camphor (for scent), carbomer, FD&C blue #1, FD&C yellow #5, Glycerine, Herbal Extract (ILEX Paraguariensis), Isopropyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Silicon Dioxide, Triethanolamine, Water, Vitamin E, Glycerin.SOMBRA:Note: List updated. Sombra no longer contains Silica.Active Ingredients:Menthol 3.0%, Camphor 3.0%Inactive Ingredients:Aloe Vera Extract, Carbomer, Capsaicin, Decyl Plyglucose, Deionized Water, Grapefruit Seed Extract, Green Tea Extract, Orange Peel Extract, Queen of the Prairie Extract, Rose Water, Sodium Hydroxymethyl Glycinate, Vegetable Glycerin, Witch Hazel, Yucca Extract.================***INGREDIENTS***SOMBRA is made of natural ingredients, no harmful parabens or artificial colors. Highlights: Green Tea, Capsaicin, Grapefruit Seed.BIOFREEZE now has more menthol but also artificial colors (Original). There's also a colorless version without dyes or propylene glycol, make sure it's labeled as "Colorless". They recently removed parabens from the formula and added Vitamin E. Highlights: Boswellia, Arnica, Lemon Balm.PENETREX has B6, Boswellia, MSM, Glucosamine, making it better for people with carpal tunnel and arthritis. No longer contains parabens.***PAIN RELIEF***I'm happy to say all of them do what they should: relieve pain.SOMBRA is supposed to give you a warming sensation, but it feels like it's just the menthol and camphor doing their job and that's a cold tingling sensation, not what I would call warm. It takes a few minutes to get some relief but it lasts for hours. It's a bit overwhelming at times, I use it on my shoulders and if I ever get it on my neck or the top of my shoulders my eyes will water for hours. It's REALLY strong. Good on back, arms, legs, anywhere that isn't remotely close to your eyes. **Note that there's multiple studies on Capsaicin and its effect on neuropathic pain. Do give Sombra a try if you suffer from neuropathy.BIOFREEZE's effect is pretty much immediate, it feels really cold, not as overwhelming as Sombra but it doesn't seem to last as long. You may need to reapply more often than Sombra. Perfect for your back, arms and shoulders, don't get it anywhere close to your mouth/eyes/nose (unless you want to clear up your sinuses)PENETREX doesn't have any fancy warming or cooling effects but the relief is also almost immediate. Use it at night on your hands and wake up without pain. Not overwhelming at all so you can use it freely on your neck and clavicle if you have TOS.***SCENT***SOMBRA: Has a citrus & menthol scent, it's really strong and the capsaicin makes it hard to remove the smell from your hands so I don't recommend using it for arthritis or carpal tunnel. My physical therapist has to wear gloves to apply it or she'll still have the smell on her hands the next day.BIOFREEZE: Smells like menthol, camphor and peppermint. Not as overwhelming as Sombra and it's easy to wash the smell off your hands.PENETREX: No strong smell. It has a soft peppermint oil scent.***TEXTURE & ABSORPTION***SOMBRA: The texture is creamy and fast absorbing. It's really good for a light rub or massage, not a deep massage (you'd need an ointment or vaseline-based rub). I use it on my back because it's the only one that I don't have to use either too much (Biofreeze) or too little (Penetrex, due to its cost) to get a light massage.BIOFREEZE: The original formula is a green colored gel; doesn't stain clothing but it may stain certain types of fabric & carpets since it does have artificial colors. The colorless version doesn't have that problem. It's absorbed really fast so it's not good for massaging but really good if you just want pain relief and don't want to have to massage the area for it to get absorbed.PENETREX: Creamy light texture, not greasy, doesn't stain, no stains on my mouse/keyboard when I use it on my hands. Fast absorption but it gives you enough time to lightly massage the area before it goes to work under your skin.***VALUE/COST***I bought a 32oz Sombra, 2 x 4oz Biofreeze & 1 x 2oz PenetrexBest value for your money? Probably Sombra for large areas; legs, back. Biofreeze for arms, shoulders and medium-small areas. Penetrex for really small areas like your hands and the back of your neck.