Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

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.. . :)