Small Home Appliances

Menthol and Camphor can be great pain relievers, especially when artfully combined in order to provide maximum results. Menthol is an alcohol product that is derived and extracted from cornmint oil. Cornmint is an herb that grows wild in China and Japan and yields an oil that is 60 to 70 per cent menthol. When menthol is applied to the skin, it produces a very intense cooling sensation that subdues and counteracts pain. It also stimulates the nerves that give the perception of cold and suppresses the nerves that transmit pain.

Camphor is derived from the Camphor tree, a tree that grows largely in Asia, an evergreen that is related to cinnamon. When camphor is applied to the skin, it causes a mild, local anesthetic result and also relieves itching.

It is also well known that healing and recovery from a minor injury can be healed more readily by controlled and easy movement of the affected part, due largely to increased circulation caused by the movement itself. This is why the application of menthol and camphor to the affected area can reduce the pain of movement and increase the circulation more easily by the reduction of pain. It has been found that any product with menthol and camphor combined can be very effective in not only relieving pain, but in speeding up the actual healing process itself.

The use of liniments has been around since the early 1800’s, as a pain reliever and of general use for sore muscles. I remember first learning about liniment when watching a movie about boxing when I was a child, where the trainer used a liberal amount of liniment on the tired, bruised muscles of the prize fighter. Liniments are usually in a liquid form, for easy application, and are made up of camphor. Another ingredient is usually capsicum, which is basically red pepper, which produces a sensation of heat. The two ingredients, when combined together in liquid form results in a very satisfactory relief from aches and pains from sore muscles, back ache, arthritis, strains, stiffness and bruises.

Analgesic balm is a familiar remedy to most athletes, as its use in the training room is legend. Used for warming up before play, and relieving soreness afterword, analgesic balm is a fixture in athletics, and is just as effective for around the house as well. It provides quick, deep relief for minor aches from arthritis and rheumatoid situations, soreness, and strains. It is usually easily applied as a salve and is greaseless and leaves no stain. Analgesic balm consists of menthol, wintergreen oil, and capsicum (red pepper). Wintergreen oil is readily absorbed into the skin has been shown to be very effective in relieving pain from arthritis.

Camphor and menthol related products have been used for years to relieve all kinds of muscular, arthritic and rheumatoid pain. However, another use that has been found is that of relief of minor rashes and itching. The same nerve suppressants and activators reliefs itching and discomfort and the soothing balm of the ingredients themselves promote the healing of the skin. Many young parents have found these type products to be very helpful with diaper rash and the itching of young infants.

If you suffer from an arthritic or rheumatoid condition, fibromyalgia, or other related ailments, these types of pain relieving agents can be very helpful in getting through necessary tasks on a day by day basis. They are not harmful with continued use, and as long as you maintain moderate activity, you should find that they can be very useful. We all sometimes overextend ourselves, whether it be that weekend softball game, or working a little too long in the yard. These products can be very useful to us all in our daily lives.

By: David L Tennant