I have suffered from RSIs for the past 5 years, and have been using Penetrex regularly for the past 2 years as part of my attempts to treat them. As anyone with RSIs know, these injuries are complex and poorly understood - it marks the beginning of an ongoing journey. In addition to my review of Penetrex, I will share some of my journey - maybe it will help someone else.
I'll get right to the point: Does Penetrex have a positive effect, and is that effect worth the money? In my opinion, yes! However, it is no magic bullet. Penetrex is just one of many factors which can affect an injury, and while I have found it decently potent, it will not single-handidly right all wrongs in the RSI universe. If the only change you make in life is to start using Penetrex, it is unfair to poorly rate it if trouble still remains. I think perhaps the abundance of rave reviews could set some people up for disappointment; the rave reviews are completely deserved in my opinion, just remember the context of the person writing it. There are too many unpredictable factors to ensure that Penetrex will be a good fit for absolutely every person. But I would say that your odds are good, and for just $20, it is among the cheapest experiments in treatment you'll ever make.
To those who complain about a lack of pain relief from Penetrex - I actually think the focus on pain relief is somewhat misplaced. I have always thought of Penetrex as a healing aid, and in that aspect I am very satisfied with its effectiveness. I have noticed some immediate relief upon application, but for me the difference has been in long-term recovery. You really do need to faithfully use it as directed to reap the maximum benefits. I don't need so much pain relief these days, as significantly less pain is being generated to begin with - something I am very grateful for. I don't know how exactly it works, but I'm aware that it does.
For people with allergies and sensitive skin, I have read of some folks reacting negatively to this cream. Unfortunately, nothing works for everyone. For myself, I have generally troublesome allergies and struggle with psoriasis and eczema. I developed contact dermatitis from using wrist braces, and can't wear them anymore. But for all the grief my skin gives me, Penetrex has only had positive effects on me. When in doubt, do a patch test.
I give this product 5 stars because, especially when you consider the cost of other treatments (and I'm not just talking about money), Penetrex delivers great bang for the buck. My experience with it leads me to believe that it is an inherently effective product backed by a reputable company. As I only seem to age in one direction - older - I anticipate being a customer of theirs for quite some time.
Still struggling with RSIs though? Penetrex is a wonderful start, but most of us probably need more on top of this. Here's a distilled list of what I have found most effective over my years of struggle. It is these things which mean I am now healing over time instead of getting worse and worse. Maybe some of these suggestions will help you. I hope so! This is not medical advice, so please talk to your doctor before doing anything crazy. Best wishes.
Alcohol - I could not believe the profound impact that even infrequent drinking had on my RSIs. It took me a long time to realize the correlation even existed. I've since quit drinking completely, and have improved significantly off this change alone. The takeaway - the occasional treat may still be punishing you chronically when it comes to what you eat/drink. Be mindful of what you put in your body!
Trigger point therapy - overuse of muscles can cause them to permanently tense up, shortening the muscles and leading to irritation of the ligaments. Pressure is how you get the muscle fibers to release. I've gotten profound relief from this. There are some excellent products on amazon for self-massaging pressure points. It's been a real game changer for me.
Exercising underused muscles - Releasing the tense overused muscles is just one side of the coin for me. I also need to exercise opposing muscle groups. For me, the best tool has been the flextend glove, which is available through their website. I was hesitant to buy it because it's expensive and their website is very ad jargony, but it gets to a point and you're willing to risk a big chunk of change just on the chance it helps. Well if part of your issue truly is muscle balance, the flextend helps a LOT. But like any exercise, you can hurt yourself using it. You don't need to go wild with the thing to get results! Workouts will sometimes cause me some irritation in the short term (cue Penetrex), but over the long term it has been very good for me.
Frequent breaks from irritating activities: You really, really need to step away from your work frequently throughout the day. I use the pomodoro technique - I work for 25 minutes, then break for 5 (get up, move around, stretch). Every 2 hours, it's a 20 minute break. I use the handy program Focus Booster, which is free, to keep track of my time. This is also a documented technique for improving productivity, so if you have a cool boss, you might be able to sell them on introducing this at your workplace!
Perfect ergonomics: If prices were bothering you before, you are really going to cry when it comes to this. As an example, I just spent over $600 on a new chair. That's the low end of the price spectrum you need to be looking in, if you work sitting down. And then there's the effort aspect - it takes time to habitually develop awareness of posture. But there's just no way around it - the best way to heal RSIs is to minimize the damage being done to begin with.
Mechanical keyboard: If you do lots of typing, having a mechanical keyboard in a standard layout is superior to having a non-mechanical keyboard in an "ergonomic" layout. It's very difficult to find an "ergonomic" mechanical keyboard and they are very expensive. I am not sure if it's really worth it to go there. I just went with a standard layout and am very happy with it. The Cherry Red switches are the best for RSI sufferers, and you can additionally install red (2mm) or blue (4mm) rubber O rings on the underside of keys to reduce travel distance. Many suppliers will pre-install these for you, though Amazon sells key cap removal tools and the O rings for cheap, if you want to go DIY. I also recommend using a ten-keyless keyboard design unless you really use that numpad - and even then, you might consider a stand-alone numpad. The reduced travel distance between the keyboard and mouse adds up.
Braces: While I used to swear by my wrist braces, I have grown to develop mixed feelings about them in the long run. I personally think they are best used as a short-term aid. They're best for when you're sleeping and during the most aggravating activities of the day, but be sure to give yourself significant "free time" if at all possible. If you're working with braces on, I think it's good to view them as a posture training tool more than anything else. Ideally, you should strive to reach a point where you can maintain good position without relying on the brace to enforce it.
I hope some of this information proved useful to my fellow RSI sufferers! Good luck!!
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This Item  Penetrex Joint & Muscle Therapy – Soothing Comfort for Back, Neck, Hands, Feet – Premium Whole Body Rub with Arnica, Vitamin B6 MSM & Boswellia – Non-Greasy 2oz Cream |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | $18.95 | $19.99 | -14% $18.95 List: $21.99 | $24.09 | -21% $18.48 List: $23.29 |
| Price Per Unit | $9.48 / Fl Oz | $10.00 / Fl Oz | $9.48 / Ounce | $3.01 / Ounce | $4.40 / Ounce |
| Delivery | Get it as soon as Monday, Jul 8 | Get it as soon as Monday, Jul 8 | Get it as soon as Monday, Jul 8 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, Jul 9 | Get it as soon as Monday, Jul 8 |
| Customer Ratings | |||||
| Pain relief | |||||
| Scent | |||||
| Value for money | |||||
| Range of motion | |||||
| Longevity | |||||
| Sold By | Penetrex | Express Supplements USA | Penetrex | SaynBeauty | Amazon.com |
| active ingredients | Arnica, Glucosamine, Vitamin B6, MSM(DMSO2) | menthol | Capsaicin, Arnica, Vitamin B6 & MSM (DMSO2) | Camphor, USP 3.0% External analgesic Menthol, USP 3.0% External analgesic | Diclofenac sodium (NSAID†) 1% (equivalent to 0.93% diclofenac) - Arthritis pain reliever. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. |
| specific uses | Joint and Muscle Therapy | Joint Pain, Muscle Pain | Joint Pain | Apply to affected area not more than 3 to 4 times daily. Rub in thorougly until gel is absorbed. | Arthritis, Joint Pain |
| form | Cream | Cream | Cream | Gel | Gel |
| weight | 2 ounces | 2.3 ounces | 0.13 pounds | 0.5 pounds | 0.22 pounds |
| product benefit | Joint & Muscle Therapy | Joint & Muscle Relief | Extra strength for relentless arthritis pain | Relieves minor aches and pains of muscles and joints associated with arthritis and simple backaches. Absorbs quickly with a refreshing orange aroma. Unique warming and cooling ingredients. | Arthritis Control |
| flavor | — | — | Cream | Orange | Unflavored |
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Works better the longer you use it.
I thought I would be a good candidate to leave a review because I buy and own every pain cream known to science and could give a difference in comparison and to other pain creams on the market and how they work. I have cervical degenerative disk disease, fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis. If it is rated good then I buy it.There are a lot of pain cream on the market. Those that give instant relief such as Biofreeze, Icy Hot, etc. And those that provide some instant relief but work better the longer you use it. Examples include Blue Emu and Penetrex which are specifically for inflamation. It helps the nerves too by reducing the inflamation off the nerve. Penetrex and Blue emu are both more natural products that are better to use for a few weeks to see maximum benefits. You do see immediate results, enough to take the edge off but the longer you use It the better they work. This product is not a miracle but it does help. I'm only having to use it 1-2 times a day now instead of every 3-4 hours like when I first started two to three weeks ago. You need to give it time for maximum effects. I can't give the product 5 stars because it's too similar to Blue emu which is cheaper. It's also no miracle cure.. However It does work slightly better then Blue emu and the 4 ounce bottle lasts longer.Another surprising thing is that it does help my severe herniated disks, I'm scheduled for surgery. I was told nothing would help it. In all honesty it just reduces the pain from an 8 to a 6 to take the edge off but that in itself that is fantastic for someone with spinal compression and massive disk issues. It helps my arthritis too. The disks not as much but it does help. Blue emu does about the same though but Penetrex is a tad better but not enough to justify the cost difference in my opinion. $13 vs $36. But I've only been using it for about three weeks and I'm sure the longer you use the better because a few weeks ago I was much more stiff and in a lot more pain then I am now. Blue emu is only $13 for 4 ounces and Penetrex is $37 for 4 ounces. I think Penetrex works slightly better then Blue emu but not much. I do think it's overpriced. I do notice that the container of Penetrex lasts longer then Blue emu just because it's thicker and spreads more so that makes up for some of the price so I can get an extra 10 days approx out of Penetrex. Blue emu has no smell at all and Penetrex has a vague light peppermint smell.I notice if you severely overuse Penetrex it can make you slightly itchy. I have sensitive skin. By that I mean applying way too much and way too often otherwise there are 0 side effects. I used it today and no itch. Penetrex and Blue emu does not cool the skin like Biofreeze or ICY HOT, it's like using a lotion but it helps which is crazy how it reaches far enough to reduce inflamation. You don't have to worry about strong odors. It's hard to fathom that something that doesn't cool or heat the skin could help but they both DO. I'm not telling you which you should purchase because I feel Penetrex works better then Blue emu but just a little, not a big difference and the cost is steep in comparison although it also lasts longer. I will say that the company Penetrex does give a no questions asked refund if you are not happy you can request an immediate refund so they stand behind there product 100%. If you are in severe pain (stiffness and burning) like I was I highly recommend rotating ICY HOT or BIOFREEZE with either Blue Emu or Penetrex inflamation cream for maximum benefits. I think BIOFREEZE or ICY HOT will take more of the edge off to give the Blue emu or Penetrex time to really kick in. Both do work immediately but the longer you use It the better and you will notice you don't need it as often. Just as anti inflamitory meds work immediately , they also work better the longer you use them as does both Penetrex and Blue emu.When I first developed the herniation I had not heard of Penetrex. I was using ICY HOT and rotating with Blue Emu to maximize effects. I swore ICY HOT was better then Blue emu, at least somewhat better and cheaper. It took Blue emu time to really start helping, although it helped immediately to take the edge off but not a ton. Each day I noticed more relief. Then Google and Amazon brought me to Penetrex so I wanted to try it as it was the number one best seller. What I do right now is the days I have less pain I do Blue emu and days I have more pain I do Penetrex. When I run out of Penetrex I may stick to just Blue emu. A month ago I was in such bad shape I was using Blue emu and Icy hot in rotation every few hours and that's when I decided to buy Penetrex and started using ALL 3 in rotation. That may seem crazy but when you are in that much pain you will do anything. Now I'm only using Penetrex every few days and Blue emu daily unless I over do it and the pain flares up too much then I use Penetrex.Note: The box says to not use product after too much physical exertion or after hot baths which is confusing. I see that as not happening for me so I broke the rule but I was slightly paranoid. Lol. I take hot epsom salt baths twice a week. I did use this after my bath with no effects outside slight itching/warming feeling on my neck. Blue emu does the same only if I use after a hot bath. Seeing as these do not normally warm or cool on the skin but only happens after a hot bath for me is a little odd. Lol. But I didn't have any crazy side effects. I also use this after cleaning the house and haven't noticed any side effects. Only after my hot baths. A little warm on my neck after applying it which lasts for about 10 minutes..This was definitely the longest review I've ever written but I felt the need to share the difference in these creams and also explain some in how they work different from other creams that cool or heat the skin. The main reason is because I read too many reviews which did not even give the product time to work before saying it's a scam etc. I'm a real buyer and it's not a scam. It's no miracle either but it does help a good 20% of the pain for severe pain and at least 50% for mild to moderate pain. I find both Penetrex and Blue emu the best on the market you can buy followed by BIOFREEZE then lastly ICY HOT. My top 3 in order is #1 PENETREX #2. BLUE EMU, #3 BIOFREEZE. #4 ICYHOT. I read Sombra works good too But that's one I've yet to personally try. I think Biofreeze helps the muscles more and Blue emu and Penetrex helps the joints more but they help the muscles too. It does work immediately to take the edge off but again it takes a few weeks to see a better improvement and the improvement is deserving of 4 stars and if the price was lower it would get 5 stars.. But that's why to start out I recommend rotating with a cooling cream to give this time to see the best results.My mobility is better, stiffness and I can tell the inflamation is down. It helps more then my prescription anti inflammatory. I really hope this helped your decision and gave some insight in to the different creams.. . :)
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Marino
Excelente Producto!!
Reviewed in Mexico on May 25, 2022Size: 2 Fl Oz (Pack of 1)Verified Purchase
Amazon Customer
Great Product
Reviewed in Australia on April 22, 2024Size: 2 Fl Oz (Pack of 1)Verified Purchase
Humberto De Leon
Muy buena
Reviewed in Mexico on June 6, 2024Size: 2 Fl Oz (Pack of 1)Verified Purchase
Minki
It is really working
Reviewed in Australia on June 12, 2024Size: 2 Fl Oz (Pack of 1)Verified Purchase