Biofreeze vs Perform - Health Guide Net

Biofreeze vs Perform – Which Is Better?

Introduction

There are lots of pain-relieving products on the market, from time-tested paracetamol to soothing sprays, but the choice can be overwhelming.

If you’re thinking about using either Biofreeze or Perform as pain relief, this quick guide will help you decide which is the best product for your body.

Types of pain relief

Whether you enjoy an active lifestyle or have aching joints, you’ll likely need some form of pain relief during your lifetime.

You may prefer to take oral medication, such as ibuprofen or aspirin, but for more instant and targeted pain relief, you might want to try a topical medication.

It’s less risky than an oral painkiller and more effective than applying ice to the area, which can lead to stiffness, skin irritation, and numbness.

The topical medication can target a range of ailments, including pain in the neck, shoulder, wrist, hand, back, leg, foot, and ankle.

Topical medication is easy to use and can be directly applied to the painful area of your body. You can use a gel, cream, or spray, or purchase patches that can be stuck onto the skin.

Most trusted brands use similar ingredients, with minor changes according to their uses. Here are the three most common ingredients:

Counterirritants

These create a burning or cooling feeling that can distract you from the pain. They are often made of menthol, methyl salicylate (oil of evergreen), and camphor. Both Biofreeze and Perform use counterirritants.

Salicylates

These have the same ingredients as aspirin. When the skin absorbs the salicylates, it might relieve your pain, particularly in joints such as knees and elbows.

Capsaicin

This is one of the most effective ingredients for pain relief. The key ingredient is hot chili pepper, which can ease joint pain and diabetic nerve pain with a warm or gentle burning sensation.

Remember to always follow the medication’s instructions and never apply topical medication to open wounds or broken skin.

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How do Biofreeze and Perform work?

Both topical medications work on the same cold therapy principle.

When they are applied to the painful area, there is a heat transfer, as the menthol cools the area, whilst the alcohol evaporates the heat off the skin’s surface. Both actions give a cooling sensation and distracts your brain from the pain.

But how is it a distraction?

It’s been scientifically proven that the cold sensation can override any pain signals emitting from the area, in what scientists call the ‘Gate Control Theory.’

The topical medication blocks the pain signals and offers your body relief.

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What is Biofreeze?

This fast-acting pain relief is designed to treat pain and help you stay active.

America’s number one topical medication, Biofreeze, is trusted by pharmacists, athletic trainers, podiatrists, massage therapists, chiropractors, and physical therapists.

Pros

Biofreeze alleviates all types of pain, including arthritis, aches, sore muscles, and injuries.

It comes in many forms, including a pen, foam, patch, gel, cream, and spray.

All forms have been clinically optimized to give you a longer-lasting experience and easier application.

Trusted by professionals, Biofreeze is fast-acting and powerful.

Studies have shown that athletes who use it decrease their pain twice as much as those who do not.

The key to the success behind Biofreeze is its ingredients.

With 4% menthol, Biofreeze can stimulate the cold receptors in your skin and create a cooling sensation that blocks your pain.

Cons

The primary difference between Biofreeze and Perform is that Biofreeze was intended for healthcare professionals only. (There is also a Biofreeze Professional product with 5% menthol).

Thanks to its high menthol-based formula, Biofreeze is better suited to professionals who can prescribe and distribute the product to their patients safely.

Biofreeze has become harder to source for the public as most retail shops do not sell it anymore.

If you think Biofreeze would be better for you, try visiting their website, where you can find an online distributor.

However, as the popularity of the product soared due to its successful results, the Perform Health company decided it was time to launch Perform, an over-the-counter product for the public.

What is Perform Pain Relief?

Perform is almost identical to Biofreeze and was developed by the same company, Perform Health.

They released the product after realizing there was a high demand for a pain-relief as effective as Biofreeze and accessible to the public.

Pros

Perform offers immediate reactive recovery and comes in both a gel and a roll-on. Thanks to its cold therapy principle, it is designed to soothe your pain and relieve you from those aching muscles, joints, or post-workout pains.

With 3.1% menthol, Perform offers a safe combination of ingredients that can be used by anyone and be purchased at most retail stores.

It is perfect for use at home, the gym, work, school, and virtually anywhere on the go.

For large muscles or general use, use the gel option to relieve pain.

For more targeted pain on the back, arms, legs, or neck, try the roll-on.

It is considered a non-NSAID pain reliever for cold therapy.

Cons

As Perform is intended for consumer retail and public use, it has slightly different ingredients. Biofreeze has 4% menthol as well as Vitamin E to help soothe the skin, whereas Perform has only 3.1% menthol and fewer substances.

The menthol is part of the cryotherapy treatment, which cools and soothes the pain. With less menthol, Perform is not as powerful a pain relief treatment as Biofreeze.

If you are an athlete or suffer from sore joints and pains frequently, it might be better to find a local distributor and purchase Biofreeze.

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Conclusion

Whether it’s Biofreeze or Perform, both topical medications will provide you with fast-acting pain relief, thanks to their similar ingredients and cold therapy principles.

However, if you’re always active or have chronic joint pain and need to use stronger pain relief, it might be better to try Biofreeze, as it has more powerful menthol ingredients.

There is no difference in price between the products.

At the time this article was written, both the Biofreeze and the Perform roll-on 3oz gel were $12.99 each.

References

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7326193/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3048583/