Topical Pain Relievers
Pain is painful; as its name suggests. Fortunately, pain can be cured just like the phrase "time can heal a broken heart." There are two types of pain relievers: oral and topical. Oral pain relievers are those that should be swallowed before they could heal the pain while topical are those that can be applied directly into the affected area such as creams, gels and lotions. Each topical pain reliever has its own characteristics and advantages over the other. Let us find out those.
Like most oral pain relievers, topical pain relievers can also be bought over-the-counter, making them available on a large-scale basis. There are at least three different kinds of topical pain relievers: counter-irritants, salicylates and capsaicin. Counter-irritants offer temporary pain relief by introducing other feelings that can overshadow pain, such as tingly sensation. They are mostly used to combat some side-effects of medicines. Reducing pain is the main action being taken by salicylates. They are usually applied to pains that are accompanied by inflammations and the like. The last type, capsaicin, reduces the amount of neurotransmitters (substances that help the nerve transmit signals to one another) present in the affected area. As a consequence, the sensation of pain will also be reduced after repeated applications.
As we can see, topical pain relievers are applied externally. This reduces the chance of having side-effects (although some topical pain relievers induce skin allergies). However, one notable disadvantage of topical pain relievers is that it can only reach areas that are immediately below the skin (or area where the topical pain reliever was applied). Thus, if the pain comes from areas that are deep below the skin, topical pain relievers could not be able to lessen the pain. Oral counterparts must be employed for this case.
In summary, using a topical pain reliever is not bad at all. Simply put it in the affected area and the pain will be lessened in just some few minutes. That's the beauty within it; apply and then just relax.