We all end up with sore joints, aching muscles and general pain at some point – and walkers, runners and cyclists are particularly prone, especially if they push themselves to do too much and do not spend time stretching and recovering.
Of course, we should all be taking more care of ourselves. We should work on better flexibility, recovery and stronger cores. I know that my sore lower back and shoulders is partly due to spending all day at a computer and also because I do not do enough yoga and core strengthening.
The G-Force also suffers with sore ankle and hip joints, as well as aching shoulders, back and neck. (He has more pain than me).
In our house we have all kinds of pain relievers, including cold and hot gel pads, muscle spray and Ibuprofen. Occasionally I am lucky enough to be treated to sports massage thanks to the fully qualified G-Force.
But mainly I spend my time aching a bit. I would say, therefore, that I am a good person to test the topical pain reliever, Biofreeze.
It’s meant to be used for sore joints, muscles, arthritis and lower back pain.
What’s interesting is it’s 100% natural, with the active ingredient being menthol, which creates a cooling sensation to “channel block” nerve endings close to the skin and pain signals traveling to the brain.
Biofreeze was originally available as a gel, but now you can buy the product as a roll-on and spray in a handy 30ml (gym-bag friendly) bottle.
On test: Biofreeze roll on
The G-Force tried it first. He applied the gel to his sore hip. He said: “The effect is brilliant. It gives almost immediate pain relief. It feels really cold and soothing.”
I applied the Biofreeze to my lower back using the roll-on bottle. I agreed with everything the G-Force said and i liked that I didn’t get my hands covered in the stuff. I found that the pain relief lasted for a couple of hours and by that point I felt a bit more human again.
The treatment is not as deep reaching as other creams and gels that I have tried, and nowhere near as long lasting as a good sports massage, but it is really helpful in the short term.
I like that it is natural product for pain relief and one that works so quickly. The smell is also lot better than other muscle pain relievers I’ve used.
Biofreeze is available via Boots and on-line.