14 best painkillers ointments and creams

Pain is always a signal of trouble in the body. And the cause of this trouble can be very different: inflammation, trauma, muscle spasm, congestive edema, and much more. Therefore, compiling a rating of the best painkillers and ointments, we tried to group the funds not by pharmacological groups - most non-medical people are completely uninteresting and not needed - but by the location of pain, based on the most frequent causes of their appearance. Of course, this review is far from exhausting all possible options, even if you do not take into account rare pathologies or atypical manifestations of diseases. Therefore, we remind that the rating is intended solely for familiarization, and not for self-medication on the Internet.

Rating best painkillers ointments and creams

Nomination	a place	Name of product	rating
The best painkillers ointments and creams for the back or neck	1	Kapsikam	5.0
	2	Nikoflex	4.9
	3	Apizartron	4.8
The best painkillers and ointments for the joints	1	Diclofenac ointment	5.0
	2	Ketoprofen gel	4.9
	3	Butadion Ointment	4.8
	4	Teraflex Chondrokrem Forte	4.7
The best painkillers for muscle pain	1	Lioton gel	5.0
	2	Trombless plus	4.9
	3	Venitan	4.8
	4	Hirudoven	4.7
The best anesthetic ointments and creams	1	Dentinox gel	5.0
	2	Oflomelide ointment	4.9
	3	Emla	4.8
When you need to see a doctor

The best painkillers ointments and creams for the back or neck

Every year, about half of people of working age experience back pain. Sedentary lifestyle, excess weight increase the load on the spine, the muscles surrounding it. The most common cause of back pain is muscle spasm. Such pains are usually local, that is, they are located in the same fairly well-defined area of ​​the neck, lower back or sacrum, they do not “give” to the limb, they do not go around the side. More rarely, the back starts to ache due to radiculopathy or “pinched nerve”. Contrary to popular belief, such pains are not always caused by disc herniation, but may be the result of the same muscle spasm and concomitant edema.

In 90% of cases, acute back pain disappears on its own within 4–6 weeks. But few of those who have experienced such a state would have agreed to wait patiently for a month and a half while “letting go”.

Since inflammation in such cases is expressed implicitly and not the main cause of pain, warming ointments or creams that reduce spasm and improve blood flow will be optimal.

Kapsikam

Rating: 4.9

Combined ointment. As a local irritant (warming) substances contains camphor, gum turpentine and nonivamide - a synthetic analogue of capsaicin, the burning substance of red pepper. Dimethyl sulfoxide has a slight anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect. Benzyl nicotinate dilates blood vessels, improving blood flow in the painful area.

A special plastic applicator has been added to the tool box. It is not recommended to neglect them: the ointment is rather persistent and burning; accidentally rubbing the eye or touching the mucous can get a lot of not very pleasant impressions.

Having smeared it with this remedy, it is not worthwhile to additionally wrap the sore spot: on the skin moist with sweat, the activity of the active substance is greatly increased, due to which, instead of moderate heating, you can get an unpleasant burning sensation. For the same reason, one should not ignore the recommendations of the manufacturer and apply more than 1–3 g of ointment to one area. When using, be sure to bypass birthmarks, scratches, acne, and other skin damage.

If, due to hypersensitivity, overdose, or contact with damaged skin, burning is too strong, you should not suffer discomfort. Rinse ointment should not be water, and swab with vegetable oil or any fat cosmetic cream.

It can not be used for acute arthritis or for warming any acute inflammation.

Nikoflex

Rating: 4.5

Contains natural capsaicin and ethyl nicotinate, dilating vessels.

Apply to dry skin. In order to avoid irritation and discomfort in the first 3 days it is recommended to apply ointment once a day, then it is possible 2 times a day.

Contraindicated in arthritis.

Apizartron

Rating: 4.1

A warming ointment based on bee venom. In addition, it contains anti-inflammatory methyl salicylate and allyl isothiocyanate, another irritant contained in mustard extract. It warms well and for a long time, but it has a distinctively pronounced odor, which distracts many patients from the preparation.

It has many contraindications except for acute arthritis and skin lesions common to any warming ointment: intolerance to bee venom, mustard, salicylates, hepatic or renal failure, blood formation disorders, pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Before using any warming ointment, it is better to do a sensitivity test - apply a minimum amount of product on the wrist or the area near the elbow. If an unbearable burning, itching, rash does not appear within half an hour, the remedy can be used. Redness is a normal reaction to local irritation, which means that the vessels have dilated.

The best painkillers and ointments for the joints

The causes of pain in the joints can be many - from the banal intoxication in acute infection to specific inflammation in tuberculosis or syphilis. Arthritis, inflammation of the joint, can be accompanied even by such seemingly distal pathologies as prostatitis (gonococcal arthritis), dysentery (dysenteric arthritis), viral hepatitis or septic endocarditis. Therefore, the optimal tactic for any pain that has appeared is to consult a doctor, find the cause and get the appropriate treatment. What we strongly recommend to do to our readers.

But in the real world, it’s not always possible to get to the doctor in a timely manner and quickly pass all the necessary examinations, so in this section of the rating we will consider painkillers and creams that can help with various kinds of joint pain.

Attention: for joint pain without an established diagnosis, it is absolutely impossible to use warming ointments or creams from the previous section of the rating. Heating and increased blood flow in acute inflammation (arthritis) only strengthens the pathological process, contributing to the spread of infection.

Therefore, for pain in the joints, ointments and creams with anti-inflammatory effects are most often recommended.It must be remembered that when applied to the skin, into the deeper layers of tissue, no more than 6% of the active substance gets into it. Therefore, pain relieving ointments and creams for the joints should be every 4 to 6 hours.

Diclofenac ointment

Rating: 4.8

The means checked by time which confirmed the efficiency. It has extremely few contraindications: skin damage (including eczema or psoriasis), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory intolerance (including aspirin asthma or urticaria), age up to 6 years, 3 trimester of pregnancy and lactation. Approved for use in 1 and 2 trimesters of pregnancy.

Ketoprofen gel

Rating: 4.4

The active ingredient of the drug has a pronounced analgesic and moderate anti-inflammatory effect. Absorbed rather slowly, practically does not accumulate in the blood plasma, which makes it relatively safe. However, it is not allowed for use during pregnancy and lactation, as for obvious reasons, safety has not been studied. Do not apply on damaged skin; use in children under 12 years old.

Butadion Ointment

Rating: 4.0

Another low-cost ointment based on a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. Reduces the intensity of pain, swelling and inflammation. Contraindications are standard for this group of drugs - intolerance to any NSAIDs, skin damage, children (up to 14 years). Not allowed for use in the 1st and 2nd trimester of pregnancy and lactation.

The tool increases the sensitivity to sunlight, so in the summer areas of the skin, which were applied ointment, you need to cover with clothing or use sunscreen with a high level of SPF.

Teraflex Chondrokrem Forte

Rating: 3.8

In addition to the anti-inflammatory substance - meloxicam - contains chondroitin sulfate, which promotes the restoration of articular cartilage tissue.

We placed it at the end of the rating section because not all anti-inflammatory drugs are necessary for the joint problems, but also chondroprotectors. Typically, these drugs are prescribed for osteoarthritis (the old name is osteoarthrosis), chronic diseases in which the articular cartilage is destroyed.

The tool is not recommended during pregnancy and lactation, since meloxicam during experiments on rats increased the likelihood of development of fetal abnormalities. It is difficult to predict how much of it will penetrate the blood and pass through the placenta or breast milk, but it is hardly reasonable to make experiments on yourself. You can not use the cream for allergies to aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory, children under 12 years old and in areas of damaged skin.

The best painkillers for muscle pain

Many people know that muscles can be sore from increased stress or after injury. But few non-specialists are aware that pain in the calf muscles and cramps in the legs at night most often causes varicose veins. According to statistics, up to 30% of all people suffer from it, and up to half of the patients are not aware of their disease.

The fact is that the first stages of varicose disease do not appear at all externally, making themselves felt only by evening and night pains, incomprehensible itching or burning, swelling, seizures. As the disease develops, “spiders” appear on the skin, which are perceived as an unpleasant, but harmless cosmetic defect. And only in the later stages of the disease do venous nodes appear - a classic sign of the disease.At this stage, no pills, ointments and creams can restore the normal structure of the venous wall, so the only way to get rid of the node is to remove it surgically or with a laser or sclerotherapy. But analgesic ointments can support microcirculation and reduce pain caused by venous congestion. In the early stages, when there are still no symptoms that could be presented to the doctor, such means can be the main method of therapy, later - to be used in complex treatment, especially in summer, when compression knitwear is inconvenient.

Leg pains are caused by varicose veins if:

1. appear in the evening, after the working day, spent sitting or standing;
2. decrease if you lie down with raised legs;
3. disappear after a walk or other physical activity;
4. intensified in the period before menstruation.

But the funds from this section of the rating are effective not only for varicose veins, but also for injuries or muscle pain caused by increased stress. Despite the different causes of the onset, the pathological process itself under these conditions is quite similar: edema caused by increased permeability of the vascular wall, hypercoagulation due to the slowing down of blood flow, pain. Therefore, any anesthetic cream from this section can be applied in case of injury, overtraining to get rid of bruise and in other similar conditions.

Lioton gel

Rating: 4.7

Heparin-based agent that has already become a classic. Theoretically, it has many analogues, ranging from cheap heparin ointment. In practice, clinical recommendations for the treatment of varicose veins indicate that local preparations containing heparin are effective at a concentration of at least 500-1000 IU per gram, therefore most of the commercially available drugs are eliminated due to too low concentration of the active substance. In addition to heparin, contains neroli oil and lavender.

Colorless transparent gel with a characteristic, but unsharply pronounced smell. It improves microcirculation, helps reduce edema, has a moderate anti-inflammatory effect, prevents thrombosis. It can be used not only for varicose disease, but also after injuries or to speed up the resorption of bruises - however, this applies to most painkillers ointments and creams that fall into this section of the rating.

It has a minimum of contraindications: damage to the skin and blood clotting.

Trombless plus

Rating: 4.3

It is based on the same heparin (1000 IU per 100 g), dexpanthenol, which increases tissue regeneration; Troxerutin, which improves vascular tone, promotes the restoration of the vascular wall, as well as has anti-inflammatory, anti-edema and antioxidant activity; local anesthetic benzocaine.

A complex action in combination with an affordable price, it would seem, makes this gel the leader of this section of the rating. But the complex composition has a downside - the more components, the higher the likelihood of adverse events and the more contraindications. With uncontrolled use, local sensitivity may be disturbed, hyperemia (redness), and contact dermatitis may appear. The gel can not be used by people under 18 years of age, in violation of the integrity of the skin, reduced blood clotting.

Venitan

Rating: 3.9

Rating 3.9.

Unlike the previous tools in this section of the ranking of the best painkillers, the tool has a completely plant based extract of horse chestnut.Reduces the permeability of the vascular wall, thus reducing edema, increases the tone of the veins, reducing the intensity of venous stagnation, strengthens the walls of capillaries when they are fragile, inhibits the activity of prostaglandins - inflammatory mediators that support the pathological process. Like all means from this section of the rating, it is applied both for injuries and for varicose veins.

Of the contraindications can be noted only the impaired integrity of the skin. The tool is not recommended for use in children under 12 years of age, pregnant and lactating due to the lack of safety data for these categories of patients.

The manufacturer recommends the use of the drug with caution with a tendency to thrombosis - and this is perhaps the only drawback of the drug created for the treatment of conditions characterized by just the same tendency to increased thrombosis.

Hirudoven

Rating: 4.7

At first glance, the composition of this tool is beautiful. Extract of medicinal leech improves microcirculation and prevents thrombosis; horse chestnut extract stabilizes the vascular wall and improves the tone of the veins, menthol and camphor instantly refresh and cool, reducing pain.

There is only one catch: the cream is registered not as a medicine, unlike most of the drugs of this rating, and not even as a dietary supplement, but as a cosmetic. That is, the manufacturer is not required by law to indicate the concentration of active substances. But when it comes to drugs of local action, it is the concentration of the active substance that will determine the effectiveness of the drug. Changing the dosage of a medicine or dietary supplement is a reason for re-registering it, while the manufacturer of cosmetics is free to change the amount of active substances as he pleases in order to be economical. Therefore, despite the natural composition and low prices, we placed this gel at the end of the rating.

The best anesthetic ointments and creams

In this section of the ranking of the best anesthetic ointment creams, we raised funds with local anesthetics - substances that directly act on pain receptors. The range of their application is quite wide - from cosmetic procedures to the treatment of burns or pain relief during teething in a child. Therefore, the rating values ​​for this section are relatively arbitrary: too different indications for use.

All funds from this section of the rating should not be taken if you are allergic to novocaine or lidocaine.

Dentinox gel

Rating: 4.6

This tool is recommended for babies with teething. In addition, in fact, lidocaine anesthetic, it contains chamomile tincture and menthol, which reduce inflammation and swelling. The gel can be used 2 - 3 times a day, putting a drop the size of a pea on the child's gums.

Oflomelide ointment

Rating: 4.2

In addition to local anesthetic, lidocaine contains ofloxacin - a broad spectrum antimicrobial agent - and methyluracil, which stimulates tissue healing. Synthetic ointment base actively absorbs exudates, ensuring the outflow of the pathological contents of purulent wounds, ulcers, etc. Applied in the treatment of trophic ulcers, burns, long non-healing wounds.

Contraindicated to 18 years old, pregnant and lactating. with intolerance to fluoroquinolones or local anesthetics.

Emla

Rating: 3.6

Rating 3.6

Possible analogues: Acryol Pro.

One of the most famous creams with analgesic effect, used in cosmetology, tattooists and in other similar situations.Contains lidocaine and prilocaine. It is necessary to apply on the skin with a layer of 2 - 3 mm and be sure to prierit film - without occlusion, the effect is sharply reduced. It begins to act within an hour after application, the duration of anesthesia is 2 hours.

When you need to see a doctor

Most of the diseases that use painkillers and ointments are quite ordinary and, while worsening the quality of life, do not shorten it. But pain can hide situations directly threatening health. In this section, we have tried to list the signs that indicate that the pathology is perhaps more serious than it seems at first glance, and a thorough examination is necessary.

For back pain:

1. the first attack of pain occurred before the age of 20 or after 55 years;
2. a history of oncological pathology;
3. pain occurred after a back injury and does not go away;
4. pain is not associated with movement;
5. pain does not decrease when lying down;
6. and at night its intensity also does not change;
7. unpleasant sensations are accompanied by fever;
8. pain intensity is gradually increasing;
9. spinal deformity appeared;
10. disturbed urination;
11. pain accompanied by weakness or numbness of the legs.

For pain in the joints:

1. the joint is swollen and red;
2. pain accompanied by fever;
3. pain persists day and night;
4. the pain intensifies in the second half of the night and in the morning, accompanied by “morning stiffness”, when after waking up it is difficult to move at first, but over time the patient “paces”
5. after resting the pain does not decrease,
6. decreased amplitude of movement in the joint.

For pain in the legs

1. severe swelling, skin looks smooth and taut, no “bones” on the leg are visible;
2. asymmetric edema: one leg is “normal”, the second is changed;
3. the appearance of an ulcer that does not heal or even diminish within two weeks;
4. redness and swelling appeared along the vein;
5. the vein has become a painful, tight cord;
6. skin has become pale or bluish;
7. sensitivity is violated.

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Attention! This rating is subjective, is not advertising and does not serve as a guide to the purchase. Before buying, you should consult with a specialist.