A couple of year ago I was diagnosed with gout in my elbow. Since then I have had gout attacks in my feet and now a seemingly permanent attack in my hands. Although the severe pain and symptoms come and go, it is always there and it can be very uncomfortable at times. I basically do not use my index fingers on both hands anymore to open bottles or grip anything tightly. The symptoms are very slowly spreading to the rest of my hands.
As you can imagine I am always looking for relief other than taking pills. I have used lotions and creams with varying results. When I had the opportunity to try something different like Salonpas Arthritis Pain Patches, I could not wait to get them. It never occurred to me to try a product like a patch or bandage, so I was curious to see if they would help.
The Salonpas Arthritis Pain Patches are a little under 3" x 4" and are made to apply flat on larger areas. I needed to be creative to use them on my hands and knuckles. They are soft and very flexible and, by using a pair of scissors, I figured out how to use them in a way that covered my entire pain area with just one cut.
(Click any photo to enlarge)
Once applied the Pain Patches stay in place with just the right amount of adhesive. The fabric used is very supple and easily moves with your body. I should say that after a few hours they did start to come off, but please remember I apply mine to my hands where I move a great deal. I was still very impressed with how well they stayed on.
The Pain Patches have a strong but not unpleasant odor of menthol. You can feel the "cold" heat right away and at times it is quite intense (but never unpleasant). I don't know if the Pain Patches are designed to do this, but it was my feeling that the intensity came and went over the hours I wore them.
How did the Salonpas Arthritis Pain Patches help with my gout? Well, they don't make it go away, of course, but when applied they provide a decent level of relief. My range of motion was still the same and if I clenched my fist there was pain, but there was no pain when I was relaxed, they definitely helped. I used them at bedtime a few times and they were very nice to keep me pain free while I fell asleep. Also, my hands were not as sore and stiff in the mornings after wearing the patch all night.
To learn more about the Arthritis Pain Patch and other Salonpas products, visit www.salonpas.us.
Thank you to Salonpas for providing complimentary product samples for us to base this review upon.