Voltarol or tiger balm for joint pain relief?

Some years ago I had a painful joint (can’t recall where) and the GP prescribed Voltarol tablets for a short while and they were very good. She said gels are pretty useless for joint pain, though ok for muscles and skin.
Anyway when arthritis developed I started taking glucosamine and chrondoitin, and have never stopped. They keep pain and stiffness away, apart from occasional flare ups.

My main problem is with my neck which is particularly troublesome at night. I’ve tried Tiger Balm with good results but much prefer Deep Relief. This is a gel which combines levomenthol with ibuprofen. It’s not expensive and really works for me. The levomenthol makes the whole area very cold straightaway and then the ibuprofen kicks in later. For me the only disadvantage is that my shoulder length hair can get very sticky!

I had forgotten about Tiger Balm! Will try on my arthritic toe (or maybe it's Gout? - think treatment is same either way!) tonight. When I lived in Singapore as a child, our Amah used Tiger Balm for all aches. pains, bites, stings etc
Thanks for reminding me!

DH has a daily tablet of turmeric and swears by it...

My DH has tried many things and now finds Fenbid gel helps his joints.

I and many of our friends swear by www.just-soaps.com/muscle-and-joint-gel-60ml-1565-p.asp

I was using over-the-counter ibuprofin gel when the Morton's neuroma flares up in my right foot. It had very little effect but my GP prescribed a 10% strength gel (brand name is Phorpain). The difference is amazing. It really is effective for me so may be worth a call to your surgery to ask about the higher strength stuff.

Not at all impressed with the Voltarol,Have used it for three consecutive nights now,Hardly any difference,but will carry on because otherwise it’s a waste of £10!! I have been taking Tumeric for a long time,but that does not really seem to help. Will be trying some of the suggestions on here so thanks very much for your advice and opinions.... I might go down the apple cider, honey and cinnamon route.....

I have arthritis in knees and hands, especially thumbs and now take Turmeric (Natures Best). Just niggling now. Wouldn’t be without it. Apparently Indians do not develop bad arthritis because they use turmeric in everything. The tea is nice too

The nurse at our local GP told my OH Tiger Balm is better than most of the rub in pain relief creams.

turmeric, worked wonders for my husband. His knee specialist was very surprised how long he managed to delay the replacement surgery, he now recommends it to patients but of course it doesn't work for everyone and is quite expensive. We take 2000mg a day

Biofreeze is amazing! And it is completely natural. I had an accident many years ago and my knee often keeps me awake at night. But Biofreeze puts a stop to the pain very quickly. The only down side is that it is light blue in colour and you have to be careful not to get it on the carpet as it can be hard to clean out. Do try it.

Not directly answering your question (sorry) BUT I hope it's okay to share my experience of getting rid of joint pain in case it helps someone-else. I was developing pains - mainly in my hips, shoulders and hands. Just got the usual advice from GP (pain killers / ibuprofen cream etc). On the advice of a friend, saw a naturopath and he told me to give up dairy products - which I was VERY reluctant to do but agreed to give it a try for 2 weeks, and all the pain disappeared. It was like a miracle. I now eat dairy-free / vegan replacement products (making sure I get my calcium elsewhere) but if I ever stray back onto dairy (e.g. can't resist a bit of cheese) the pain starts up again - only a little, and then increasing if I don't stop. It's hard in the beginning and then it just becomes a way of life and much easier (and no pain). Definitely worth trying.

Kine,expensive oils,arphabethan herb tablets,swimming,balenotherapy

I’m another hip sufferer who resorted to the higher strength Voltarol gel recently out of sheer desperation & the desire to get active. I have to admit it seems a lot more comfortable now and Im impressed, though it does say not to use for more than 7 days. Time to switch to Tiger Balm I think! Thanks for the advice folks!

We use Olbas Oil really helps rubbed well in

My Dr prescribed Naproxen, with Omeprazole to protect my stomach. I’ve put on over a stone and have sores around my mouth. The extra weight puts pressure on my arthritic joints .

I’ll be trying the Tiger Balm!

Muscle flex which is just a miracle in a tube

Shinamae

Thank you all for your responses. I will try the Voltarol tonight and let you know how I get on with it then after that I am inclined to try the Polar frost....??

And definitely tiger balm now as well....?

I love tiger balm and buy up big when we go to Singapore because it is cheaper there . I guess now the trips will be off the agenda with COvid so I will have to eke out what I have left. Damn virus, affects eveything.

I have used both. I used to use Voltarol (12 hr one) on my hip before the replacement but changed to Tiger Balm and found it just as effective. I use Tiger Balm every night for the arthritis in my thumbs and MrM uses it for his lower back pain and shoulder. Yes it is a little pot but it lasts far longer than the Voltarol and I've found it more effective, cheaper and safer.

There are lots of occasions when Voltarol orIbuprofen shouldn't be used. Certainly neither of them for more than 14 days unless a doctor says it's OK.

Red tiger balm is brilliant as is Sainsburys equivalent to Voltoral and the % is higher i think it`s 6%.

I will try Tiger balm on my arthritic thumb.

The doctor warned me not to use Volterol often as it does affect medication even though topical. I asked the pharmacist if he had anything and he suggested Tiger Balm - I find it equally good as Volterol if not better and the smell is so much nicer. It is in a small pot but it lasts me ages despite using it frequently - it is a totally different product and spreads well. I would not revert to the Volterol again. I only use it if I am woken by pain in my hip or knee and being in a small pot I can hold it easily in one hand while applying it with the other.

Dermacool!