How Can Menthol Help Relieve Pain?

Menthol relieves pain through a combination of topical mechanisms, primarily by interacting with temperature-sensitive nerve receptors in the skin. This interaction creates a cooling or warming sensation that overrides and distracts the brain from deeper pain signals.

Menthol directly binds to and activates a protein called Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin 8 (TRPM8) in the sensory nerves of your skin. This tricks your brain into perceiving a cooling sensation, even though there is no actual drop in temperature.

The intense, novel sensation of cold can effectively distract the brain and overwhelm the pain signals that are being sent by the nerve endings in the painful area. This is a process known as "gate control theory," where a non-painful stimulus can inhibit the transmission of a painful one.

Beyond the distraction effect, menthol can also interact directly with pain receptors, effectively blocking the transmission of pain signals to the brain. This is particularly useful for chronic pain.

When applied to the skin, menthol also acts as a vasodilator, widening blood vessels to increase localized blood flow. This increased circulation can help reduce inflammation and speed up the recovery process in sore muscles and joints.

Because it works topically rather than systemically, menthol is an effective, non-addictive, and fast-acting option for a variety of conditions.

One of our newest products was formulated with menthol. It originally was called "Overnight Pain Balm" but I decided to rename it and change the formula a bit. The new formula does not have magnesium in it. I had a hard time getting the magnesium oil to emulsify into the balm.

I also added wintergreen essential oil to it. The essential oil blend combined with the herbs and menthol work to relieve pain for both acute pain and chronic.

Menthol is not recommended for long term use. Do not use for more than 7 consecutive days. For chronic conditions, I suggest 3-4 days on, 3-4 days off. Menthol and wintergreen both can be unsafe for long term use.

SHOP PAIN BALM NOW

* Do not use the pain balm if you are allergic to asprin or on blood thinners (due to wintergreen)

** Never use a heating pad or tightly bandage an area after applying a topical menthol product.

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