ANALGESIC BALMS DO NOT HEAL INJURIES
Report #6796 4/26/96
There aren't any lotions or creams that help heal athletic injuries. Most lotions and creams that are advertised to help heal muscle injuries contain oil of wintergreen which is methyl salicylate, a type of aspirin that is absorbed through the skin into the bloodstream. Since aspirin-containing lotions make your skin burn and feel hot, many people think that it also helps injuries to heal, but aspirin may actually delay healing.
The pain of muscle injuries comes from the release of prostaglandins which are also part of the first stage of healing. So, when aspirin blocks prostaglandins it also can delay healing. It causes a warm and burning feeling by widening the blood vessels in the skin and bringing more hot blood to the skin's surface. Other creams contain menthol that has a cooling effect on the skin. When combined with oil of wintergreen, menthol can make your skin feel alternately hot and cold. DMSO is another anaesthetic added to creams that has no healing properties whatever. Aloe vera, an extract from a plant that is grown in the southeastern United States,is also added to sports creams. There are no good studies to show that these extracts help muscles heal/and aloe vera isn't even an effective pain reliever. There is some evidence that aloe vera can help protect against infections. If you are injured during exercise, stop exercising until your injury heals. If the pain is severe or the injured part does not heal within a few weeks, check with a physician. No creams help you to heal faster.
By Gabe Mirkin, M.D., for CBS Radio News