Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I was skeptical about this product. To me, miracle wonder cure-all claims smack of suckers and the placebo effect. What I was looking for was something like the new-to-the-U.S. (but common in Europe) prescription drug Pennsaid. I've been running for 30 years, and so it's no surprise that my knees sometimes hurt. My doctor did bilateral X-rays and gave me Pennsaid, which is a much buzzed about -- Men's Health and NY Times to name two -- transdermal nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that reduced the inflammation that rest and ice wasn't enough for. The huge advantages of a topical cream or liquid is that the drug passes through the skin directly to just the areas that need the agent, rather than like say ibuprofen (e.g. Advil) that has to go through the stomach and liver, then bathe the whole body with their effects. Ibuprofen cream is available in the UK and elsewhere, but not yet in the US. What I found was Penetrex. The active NSAID ingredient seems to be arnica, a herbal extract from the sunflower family. Arnica contains helenalin, which is a sesquiterpene lactone that has been a major ingredient in other anti-inflammatory preparations. There is real published research showing arnica works, although the data suggest a different molecular mechanism from other nonsteroidal NSAIDs. There are other ingredients, a varied collection including B6, Boswellia Serrata and MSM. I have no idea if these really help. After a bit more than a week my knees were feeling better. Pernetrex is not really a pain reliever, there are no ingredients that necessarily do do that, so the better function and feeling is due to the anti-inflammatory properties. Could it be placebo effect? Maybe. Could it be time? Maybe. But am I buying another bottle to have ready when this one runs out? Yes. The cream is not sticky or gross, and has a slight pleasant peppermint smell that is not noticeable after you put it on. Is it a miracle? Is it a cure-all? No. No. But do I think it really helped? Yes. I hope you find this review useful.