Re: BIOFREEZE - Tigers Balm?

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 3/18/2004 5:39:25 PM Eastern Standard Time,

jbmohr@... writes:

I went to the biofreeze website and despite what they say I know I

can buy it at a minimum of three of the health food/nutrition type

stores. I bought a 3oz tube of the roll on 2 years ago for $11.95.

Have no idea what the current price in the stores is.

Oh please NOOOOOOO. Don't pay $11.95 for a tube. I can definitely get

Biofreeze for less then $6.00 or so & sometimes even less! It went up, but a

year ago it was @ 4 1/2 depending on shipping.l It depends if I can catch a

sale.

I get them from a professional site & you may not have seen it, but I've

promised many that I'd send them samples that I have & many others asked me to

bring a bunch of tubes or roll ons to Buffalo.

Am about to send out an email, as I've asked people to email me with their

requests offline at boop4@.... It's getting hard to keep track.

[Guest guest]

Someone recently recommended Tigers Balm (or something like that)

Anyone have an opinion on that?

>

>

----------------

Someone else may have recommended it and I missed it, but I did

comment on it as a comparison. What I said was that Biofreeze is a

COLD treatment compared to Ben Gay or Tiger Balm, which are HEAT

treatments. In terms of perception, the brain processes extreme

heat and extreme cold as the same sensation. Warm and cool " feel "

different but Hot and Cold " feel " the same.

The big difference in choice on whether to use Biofreeze or

something like Tiger Balm is stage of inflammation. For an acute

situation you always want to go with cold because heat aggravates it.

I am going to copy in some notes I made on the three stages of

inflammation when I was in massage school.

As for the two products, I have used both over the years and like

them both. I generally go with the Biofreeze because I tend to be

in either an Acute or Subacute phase when I need something.

--------------

STAGES OF INFLAMMATION

ACUTE: FIRST 4 DAYS AFTER INJURY

SIGNS: SWELLING, REDNESS, HEAT, LOSS OF FUNCTION

ASSESS: USE PASSIVE ROM, PAIN AT REST OR EARLY IN ROM

TX GOALS: REDUCE SWELLING, REDUCE PAIN, REDUCE MUSCLE SPASM

TX TECHNIQUES: LYMPHATIC DRAINAGE, RICE

ROM GOALS: MAINTAIN ROM (ACTIVE & PASSIVE ROM WITHIN PAIN TOLERANCE)

HYDRO: COLD/ICE

SUBACUTE: 4 – 14 DAYS POST-INJURY

SIGNS: SEE ABOVE, SCAR TISSUE STARTS TO FORM

ASSESS: USE PASSIVE ROM, PAIN AT MIDRANGE

TX GOALS: INCREASE CIRCULATION, DECREASE HYPERTONICITY, DECREASE

WASTE AND DEBRIS

TX TECHNIQUES: CYRIAX CROSS FIBER FRICTION, WORK PROXIMAL

ROM GOALS: INCREASE ROM, ACTIVE AND PASSIVE

HYDRO: COLD VASCULAR FLUSH, WITH COLD EMPHASIS (3 X COLD, 1 X HOT, 3

X COLD, END WITH COLD)

CHRONIC: 14 – 21 DAYS POST INJURY

SIGNS: PAIN AND LOSS OF FUNCTION, ADHESIONS

ASSESS: USE PASSIVE ROM, PAIN AT END OF ROM (TISSSUE STRETCH)

TX GOALS: DECREASE PAIN FROM CONTRACTURES, DECREASE ADHESIONS,

INCREASE SOFT TISSUE MOBILITY

TX TECHNIQUES: CROSS FIBER FRICTION, CONTRACT-RELAX, PIN AND STRETCH

ROM GOALS: STRENGTHEN, RESISTIVE ROM

HYDRO: HOT (MOIST HEAT), HOT VASCULAR FLUSH (3 X HOT, 1 X COLD, 3 X

HOT, END WITH COLD)

[Guest guest]

Someone recently recommended Tigers Balm (or something like that)

Anyone have an opinion on that?

>

>

----------------

Someone else may have recommended it and I missed it, but I did

comment on it as a comparison. What I said was that Biofreeze is a

COLD treatment compared to Ben Gay or Tiger Balm, which are HEAT

treatments. In terms of perception, the brain processes extreme

heat and extreme cold as the same sensation. Warm and cool " feel "

different but Hot and Cold " feel " the same.

The big difference in choice on whether to use Biofreeze or

something like Tiger Balm is stage of inflammation. For an acute

situation you always want to go with cold because heat aggravates it.

I am going to copy in some notes I made on the three stages of

inflammation when I was in massage school.

As for the two products, I have used both over the years and like

them both. I generally go with the Biofreeze because I tend to be

in either an Acute or Subacute phase when I need something.

--------------

STAGES OF INFLAMMATION

ACUTE: FIRST 4 DAYS AFTER INJURY

SIGNS: SWELLING, REDNESS, HEAT, LOSS OF FUNCTION

ASSESS: USE PASSIVE ROM, PAIN AT REST OR EARLY IN ROM

TX GOALS: REDUCE SWELLING, REDUCE PAIN, REDUCE MUSCLE SPASM

TX TECHNIQUES: LYMPHATIC DRAINAGE, RICE

ROM GOALS: MAINTAIN ROM (ACTIVE & PASSIVE ROM WITHIN PAIN TOLERANCE)

HYDRO: COLD/ICE

SUBACUTE: 4 – 14 DAYS POST-INJURY

SIGNS: SEE ABOVE, SCAR TISSUE STARTS TO FORM

ASSESS: USE PASSIVE ROM, PAIN AT MIDRANGE

TX GOALS: INCREASE CIRCULATION, DECREASE HYPERTONICITY, DECREASE

WASTE AND DEBRIS

TX TECHNIQUES: CYRIAX CROSS FIBER FRICTION, WORK PROXIMAL

ROM GOALS: INCREASE ROM, ACTIVE AND PASSIVE

HYDRO: COLD VASCULAR FLUSH, WITH COLD EMPHASIS (3 X COLD, 1 X HOT, 3

X COLD, END WITH COLD)

CHRONIC: 14 – 21 DAYS POST INJURY

SIGNS: PAIN AND LOSS OF FUNCTION, ADHESIONS

ASSESS: USE PASSIVE ROM, PAIN AT END OF ROM (TISSSUE STRETCH)

TX GOALS: DECREASE PAIN FROM CONTRACTURES, DECREASE ADHESIONS,

INCREASE SOFT TISSUE MOBILITY

TX TECHNIQUES: CROSS FIBER FRICTION, CONTRACT-RELAX, PIN AND STRETCH

ROM GOALS: STRENGTHEN, RESISTIVE ROM

HYDRO: HOT (MOIST HEAT), HOT VASCULAR FLUSH (3 X HOT, 1 X COLD, 3 X

HOT, END WITH COLD)

[Guest guest]

It was a friend that recommended the tigers balm after I complained

that biofreeze wasn't doing much for me.

So my problem is that I have a couple muscles - the supraspinatus and

the upper trap on my left size - that just never relax - the are

chronically in spasm. I usually have no sensation of feeling in

them, but if I work them a lot (trigger points) over several days and

don't do anything to knock my bones out of place I can get to the

point of pain, but never to the point of relaxing. Today they have

been esp hard.

The two TMs that I have gone to have been no help (one made the

problem worse the other implied I was making up the pain) and my

chiro hasn't been able to free them either.

Biofreeze gives no pain relief and no noticable relaxation. Icy hot

works to help relieve pain, but I know that is just the asprin affect

and I'm not really solving the problem.

Any advice?

PS, thanks for the advice on inflamation - I once took a nice long

hot bath after overstretching my leg (didn't yet know my limits) and

paid for it for a long long time.

>

>

> Someone recently recommended Tigers Balm (or something like that)

> Anyone have an opinion on that?

> >

> >

>

> ----------------

>

> Someone else may have recommended it and I missed it, but I did

> comment on it as a comparison. What I said was that Biofreeze is a

> COLD treatment compared to Ben Gay or Tiger Balm, which are HEAT

> treatments. In terms of perception, the brain processes extreme

> heat and extreme cold as the same sensation. Warm and cool " feel "

> different but Hot and Cold " feel " the same.

>

> The big difference in choice on whether to use Biofreeze or

> something like Tiger Balm is stage of inflammation. For an acute

> situation you always want to go with cold because heat aggravates

it.

>

> I am going to copy in some notes I made on the three stages of

> inflammation when I was in massage school.

>

> As for the two products, I have used both over the years and like

> them both. I generally go with the Biofreeze because I tend to be

> in either an Acute or Subacute phase when I need something.

>

> --------------

>

> STAGES OF INFLAMMATION

>

> ACUTE: FIRST 4 DAYS AFTER INJURY

> SIGNS: SWELLING, REDNESS, HEAT, LOSS OF FUNCTION

> ASSESS: USE PASSIVE ROM, PAIN AT REST OR EARLY IN ROM

> TX GOALS: REDUCE SWELLING, REDUCE PAIN, REDUCE MUSCLE SPASM

> TX TECHNIQUES: LYMPHATIC DRAINAGE, RICE

> ROM GOALS: MAINTAIN ROM (ACTIVE & PASSIVE ROM WITHIN PAIN TOLERANCE)

> HYDRO: COLD/ICE

>

> SUBACUTE: 4 – 14 DAYS POST-INJURY

> SIGNS: SEE ABOVE, SCAR TISSUE STARTS TO FORM

> ASSESS: USE PASSIVE ROM, PAIN AT MIDRANGE

> TX GOALS: INCREASE CIRCULATION, DECREASE HYPERTONICITY, DECREASE

> WASTE AND DEBRIS

> TX TECHNIQUES: CYRIAX CROSS FIBER FRICTION, WORK PROXIMAL

> ROM GOALS: INCREASE ROM, ACTIVE AND PASSIVE

> HYDRO: COLD VASCULAR FLUSH, WITH COLD EMPHASIS (3 X COLD, 1 X HOT,

3

> X COLD, END WITH COLD)

>

> CHRONIC: 14 – 21 DAYS POST INJURY

> SIGNS: PAIN AND LOSS OF FUNCTION, ADHESIONS

> ASSESS: USE PASSIVE ROM, PAIN AT END OF ROM (TISSSUE STRETCH)

> TX GOALS: DECREASE PAIN FROM CONTRACTURES, DECREASE ADHESIONS,

> INCREASE SOFT TISSUE MOBILITY

> TX TECHNIQUES: CROSS FIBER FRICTION, CONTRACT-RELAX, PIN AND

STRETCH

> ROM GOALS: STRENGTHEN, RESISTIVE ROM

> HYDRO: HOT (MOIST HEAT), HOT VASCULAR FLUSH (3 X HOT, 1 X COLD, 3 X

> HOT, END WITH COLD)

[Guest guest]

It was a friend that recommended the tigers balm after I complained

that biofreeze wasn't doing much for me.

So my problem is that I have a couple muscles - the supraspinatus and

the upper trap on my left size - that just never relax - the are

chronically in spasm. I usually have no sensation of feeling in

them, but if I work them a lot (trigger points) over several days and

don't do anything to knock my bones out of place I can get to the

point of pain, but never to the point of relaxing. Today they have

been esp hard.

The two TMs that I have gone to have been no help (one made the

problem worse the other implied I was making up the pain) and my

chiro hasn't been able to free them either.

Biofreeze gives no pain relief and no noticable relaxation. Icy hot

works to help relieve pain, but I know that is just the asprin affect

and I'm not really solving the problem.

Any advice?

PS, thanks for the advice on inflamation - I once took a nice long

hot bath after overstretching my leg (didn't yet know my limits) and

paid for it for a long long time.

>

>

> Someone recently recommended Tigers Balm (or something like that)

> Anyone have an opinion on that?

> >

> >

>

> ----------------

>

> Someone else may have recommended it and I missed it, but I did

> comment on it as a comparison. What I said was that Biofreeze is a

> COLD treatment compared to Ben Gay or Tiger Balm, which are HEAT

> treatments. In terms of perception, the brain processes extreme

> heat and extreme cold as the same sensation. Warm and cool " feel "

> different but Hot and Cold " feel " the same.

>

> The big difference in choice on whether to use Biofreeze or

> something like Tiger Balm is stage of inflammation. For an acute

> situation you always want to go with cold because heat aggravates

it.

>

> I am going to copy in some notes I made on the three stages of

> inflammation when I was in massage school.

>

> As for the two products, I have used both over the years and like

> them both. I generally go with the Biofreeze because I tend to be

> in either an Acute or Subacute phase when I need something.

>

> --------------

>

> STAGES OF INFLAMMATION

>

> ACUTE: FIRST 4 DAYS AFTER INJURY

> SIGNS: SWELLING, REDNESS, HEAT, LOSS OF FUNCTION

> ASSESS: USE PASSIVE ROM, PAIN AT REST OR EARLY IN ROM

> TX GOALS: REDUCE SWELLING, REDUCE PAIN, REDUCE MUSCLE SPASM

> TX TECHNIQUES: LYMPHATIC DRAINAGE, RICE

> ROM GOALS: MAINTAIN ROM (ACTIVE & PASSIVE ROM WITHIN PAIN TOLERANCE)

> HYDRO: COLD/ICE

>

> SUBACUTE: 4 – 14 DAYS POST-INJURY

> SIGNS: SEE ABOVE, SCAR TISSUE STARTS TO FORM

> ASSESS: USE PASSIVE ROM, PAIN AT MIDRANGE

> TX GOALS: INCREASE CIRCULATION, DECREASE HYPERTONICITY, DECREASE

> WASTE AND DEBRIS

> TX TECHNIQUES: CYRIAX CROSS FIBER FRICTION, WORK PROXIMAL

> ROM GOALS: INCREASE ROM, ACTIVE AND PASSIVE

> HYDRO: COLD VASCULAR FLUSH, WITH COLD EMPHASIS (3 X COLD, 1 X HOT,

3

> X COLD, END WITH COLD)

>

> CHRONIC: 14 – 21 DAYS POST INJURY

> SIGNS: PAIN AND LOSS OF FUNCTION, ADHESIONS

> ASSESS: USE PASSIVE ROM, PAIN AT END OF ROM (TISSSUE STRETCH)

> TX GOALS: DECREASE PAIN FROM CONTRACTURES, DECREASE ADHESIONS,

> INCREASE SOFT TISSUE MOBILITY

> TX TECHNIQUES: CROSS FIBER FRICTION, CONTRACT-RELAX, PIN AND

STRETCH

> ROM GOALS: STRENGTHEN, RESISTIVE ROM

> HYDRO: HOT (MOIST HEAT), HOT VASCULAR FLUSH (3 X HOT, 1 X COLD, 3 X

> HOT, END WITH COLD)

[Guest guest]

I can't use tiger balm as I am allergic (it burns so bad I have to

wash it off ASAP and I get left with red burn marks) I am an atopic

person (have heaps of allergies, asthma, eczema etc). So if you are a

sensitive or Atopic person be careful when trying ANYTHING new.

Sharon

> I went to the biofreeze website and despite what they say I know I

> can buy it at a minimum of three of the health food/nutrition type

> stores. I bought a 3oz tube of the roll on 2 years ago for

$11.95.

> Have no idea what the current price in the stores is.

>

> I've used biofreeze off and on for two years. For me it provides

no

> pain relief, however, I have noticed that if I have muscle spasm

> without pain it seems to relax the muscles a little.

>

> Someone recently recommended Tigers Balm (or something like that)

> Anyone have an opinion on that?

>

>