There was a very recent thread on the use of a TENS unit for pain management:
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?p=8225713
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?p=549101
Is Tiger Balm Ultra and different than Tiger Balm Red? I use the latter for headaches but have found it only marginally helpful for muscle and joint pain. These types of products do not really penetrate. They "relieve" pain by acting as a
counter-irritant. If you want your ointment to penetrate deeper into the tissue and get into the blood stream, you might try it in conjunction with
DMSO.
Stay away from DMSO products sold in hardware stores. These contain impurities which can be driven into the skin and into the bloodstream by the action of the DMSO itself. DMSO can also be used by itself to relieve pain. I believe that it is converted to MSM in the body (but penetrates skin & tissue much better than MSM itself). You might find that some areas of skin on your body might be a bit sensitive to DMSO. I find that using a vitamin E cream on those areas prior to application of DMSO, seems to help prevent skin irritation.
Some products use Emu oil to improve skin/tissue penetration. Other products use other transdermal delivery systems. These may or may not be as effective as DMSO.
I have found that
Arnica gel and
BioFreeze (or similar gels) are often quite good for pain relief.
For knee pain due to arthritis, I find that warming up the knees using a bicycle or exercise bike for 15-20 mins works a whole lot better than any creams, gels or ointments.
Ice and heat also work quite well for pain relief. I will use ice (for 20-30 mins) after exercise and at other times of the day. However, just prior to tennis or other exercise, I will use a heating pad to warm up sore muscles or joints. Of course, if the pain is something more than a dull ache, it might be best to avoid exercise completely.
).
