Biofreeze® topical analgesic is thought to decrease pain through the gate control mechanism. The gate control theory suggests that specific nerve stimulation over-rides painful nerve signals to the brain, thus reducing the perception of pain. As a counterirritant, Biofreeze is thought to reduce pain in this manner. Another common method of pain reduction used by rehabilitation professionals is “TENS” or transcutaneous neuromuscular electrical stimulation. TENS is also thought to reduce pain via the gate-control mechanism.
Clinical researchers at Sport and Spine Rehabilitation recently compared the effectiveness of Biofreeze and TENS treatments in patients with low back pain. They presented their findings at the 2013 ACC-RAC conference in Washington DC, and their abstract was published in the Journal of Chiropractic Education.
22 patients with low back pain were randomly assigned to either Biofreeze treatment (6 patients) or TENS (16 patients) treatment in addition to a standardized rehabilitation program including exercise and manual therapy.
Both groups significantly decreased in pain, disability, and fear avoidance behavior. The researchers noted the differences in treatment cost between the interventions (Biofreeze was $15 compared to $75 for TENS), suggesting “Given the cost savings of Biofreeze, it would be a prudent choice to incorporate Biofreeze as a replacement for TENS.”
Greenstein et al. Evaluation of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation vs. Biofreeze in the treatment of back pain.(Abstract). 2013. J Chiropr Ed. 27(1):90.
Disclosure: Performance Health supported this study
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