Many massage therapists use topical analgesics during massage sessions and also retail such products to clients for home-care. New research indicates one such product, Biofreeze® Pain Reliever, has significant pain-relieving effects on knee pain in people suffering from osteoarthritis.
Twenty knee arthritis patients performed five functional tasks after applying Biofreeze Pain Reliever or a placebo gel on separate days, according to a press release.
Biofreeze Pain Reliever significantly decreased pain in four of five functional tasks, whereas the placebo did not reduce pain in any of the functional tasks.
Applying Biofreeze to the arthritic knee also resulted in improved performance in three out of five functional tasks, whereas the placebo improved only one of the five functional tasks.
The results of the study, “The Effect of Either Topical Menthol or a Placebo on Functioning and Knee Pain Among Patients with Knee OA” were published in September ahead of print in the Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy.
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