Brand Spotlight: Biofreeze Cold Therapy Pain Relief

Since early March of 2015, I have been suffering from extremely tight back and neck muscles from a combination of sports injury, bad posture, and job stress (see my other blog posts on Burnout Syndrome and Cell Phone Neck). Thankfully, our friends at the OMNI Health and Rehab Clinic were able to get me back on track, through a customized treatment plan, designed specifically for me. This treatment plan included the use of the Biofreeze Cold Therapy Pain Relief family of products.

The Biofreeze Pain Reliever products use a clinical strength formula consisting of the active ingredient menthol with a synergistic blend of inactive ingredients. The resulting formula offers quick, effective pain relief without the use of prescription drugs, and is designed to target pain quickly.

I have tried countless other brands of topical anesthetic, but Biofreeze is clearly the winner in my books! RUB-A535, Voltaren, and Tiger Balm don’t even sit in the same realm of comparison.

All Biofreeze Cold Therapy Pain Relief products are paraben-free, propylene glycol-free and include a proprietary herbal blend. Biofreeze products are colorless, uses 10% menthol and are available in a variety of sizes.

For sheer volume, I prefer the Biofreeze 4 fl oz Gel Tube to store in my medicine cabinet at home. But when on the go, or at the gym, the Biofreeze 360° Spray delivers the topical analgesic using the best spray technology on the market today — it works from any angle, even upside down. It’s often difficult for back pain sufferers and arthritic patients to get an even application of Biofreeze where they need it most. The 360˚ Spray makes applying Biofreeze much easier.

How does it work?

Once a muscle or joint is injured, regular exercise is typically the key to rehabilitation. But when pain limits a body’s ability to exercise, the healing process takes longer.

Biofreeze Pain Reliever products help break this pain cycle, by relieving pain through a method known as “Gate Control,” or “gating.” In the gating process, menthol acts to stimulate specific sensory receptors in the skin, thereby blocking other receptors from sending pain signals to the brain.

Biofreeze Pain Reliever products provide temporary relief from minor aches and pains of sore muscles and joints associated with simple backache, arthritis, bruises, strains and sprains.

Biofreeze Pain Reliever products may be used up to four times a day – both before exercise or therapy (to relieve painful movement), and afterwards (to soothe muscle or joint soreness). In some cases, Biofreeze products may even be used during exercises or therapy.

The Simple Explanation

The Scientific Explanation: Gate Control

Traditional thinking is that the pain-relieving mechanism of action of menthol – the active ingredient in Biofreeze Pain Reliever – results from a counter-irritant effect. Simply put, a counter-irritant has an effect of overriding noxious pain signals traveling to the brain through a process modulated between pain-transmitting and non-pain transmitting neurons. This process, known as “gate control” or “gating,” was first described by Melzak and Wall.

Gate control theory is based on the understanding that pain is transmitted by two kinds of afferent nerve fibers. One is the larger myelinated A-delta fiber, which carries quick, intense-pain messages. The other is the smaller, unmyelinated “C” fiber, which transmits throbbing, chronic pain. A third type of nerve fiber, called A-beta, is “nonnociceptive,” meaning it does not transmit pain stimuli. The gate control theory asserts that signals transmitted by the A-delta and C pain fibers can be thwarted by the activation/stimulation of the nonnociceptive A-beta fibers and thus inhibit an individual’s perception of pain.

More recently, laboratory researchers have discovered that menthol stimulates the TRPM8 cold receptors. Even though it has long been accepted that cooling and cold can induce analgesia it has been a poorly understood mechanism. As scientists have continued to isolate these specific heat-sensitive transient receptor potential (TRP) channels within our sensory neurons we are now able to have a much better understanding of the body’s cutaneous temperature detection. With the isolation and further study of these specific TRPM8 receptors there is stronger evidence supporting the benefits achieved with the cooling effect of menthol in functioning as a topical analgesic while activating these receptors and the resulting consequent pain relief.

Where can I buy Biofreeze?

Biofreeze Pain Reliever products are distributed through Chiropractic, Sports Injury, and Rehabilitation clinics. Always consult an expert before treating a new muscular or joint injury to be sure that your injury is being properly cared for.

For more information and to order Biofreeze products, please contact our trusted partner, OMNI Health and Rehab Clinic. Be sure to mention coupon code JBFREEZE15 for a 15% discount on all orders!

310 Main St. E., Suite 108
Milton, ON L9T 1P4
Phone: 905-876-8885
Email: info@omniclinic.ca

— With files and images from Biofreeze