A recent study compared the effectiveness of Biofreeze topical analgesic and a placebo gel in reducing chronic pain and symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome in slaughterhouse workers. The study, conducted by researchers at the National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark, suggested that when compared to the placebo gel, Biofreeze Pain Reliever reduced hand/wrist pain by 31%.
Lars L. Anderson, PhD, lead researcher and professor of Musculoskeletal Disorders, National Research Centre for the Working Environment, states, “Using Biofreeze to acutely reduce the pain associated with carpal tunnel syndrome may also help facilitate therapeutic exercise or other interventions such as physical or occupational therapy.”
A news release from TheraBand Academy and Performance Health notes that the study, which appears in Rehabilitation Research and Practice, was triple-blinded, randomized and placebo-controlled. A total of ten workers with symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome participated in the study. The workers participated in two separate days of testing involving the topical application of Biofreeze Pain Reliever, which contains menthol, or a placebo gel with a menthol scent applied to the arm, wrist, and hand. The release adds that Biofreeze and the placebo gel were packaged and labeled in the same manner so that each topical gel appeared similar to the other.
During the first day of the study, participants were randomly allocated to receive either Biofreeze or the placebo, and on the second day of testing, the participants received the contrasting treatment, allowing them to serve as their own controls in a crossover design. The researchers reportedly measured the subjects’ pain immediately before and at 1, 2, and 3 hours following application.
According to the results, when compared to the placebo, Biofreeze Pain Reliever reduced hand/wrist pain by 31%. Additionally, the results indicate that the pain reduction lasted at least 3 hours post-application, with the pain reduction lasting longer than the perceived cooling effect. The release reports that the researchers indicated a “moderate-sized” treatment effect of BioFreeze Pain Reliever.
The release also emphasizes that while Biofreeze decreased work-related pain linked to carpal tunnel syndrome, the workload and repetitive nature of the occupation must be adjusted.
Anderson adds that menthol may have an impact on neuropathic pain by inactivating sodium channels.
“Biofreeze should be considered as an effective non-systemic alternative to regular oral analgesics in the workplace management of chronic localized musculoskeletal and neuropathic pain,” Anderson says.
Learn more about the science behind Biofreeze in this video
Source(s): TheraBand Academy, Performance Health
