Biofreeze is a mild analgesic containing menthol ilex and camphor. It provides pain relief and reduces inflammation by cooling the afflicted area. A drop in temperature reduces blood supply to a particular area and. In turn, the pain receptors cease to function at their full capacity. Common uses for analgesics such as Biofreeze include treating injuries from sports, various strains of the back and extremities, and mitigating the ongoing effects of arthritic symptoms.

Biofreeze works by means of “cryotherapy”, or cold therapy. What distinguishes this product as unique is its ability to administer cryotherapy topically, or by surface contact with the skin with a level of efficacy unparalleled by any products in its class.

Often times, athletes will “ice down” immediately after a work out in order to pre-emptively prevent painful swelling and other side effects that sometimes afflict people after strenuous physical activity. Some specialists even go as far as to advocate ice baths after workouts with this intention in mind.

Strenuous activity produces tiny tears in muscle tissue. These tears are responsible for both muscle pain and muscle growth. Cold temperatures slow down your metabolic rate and reduce swelling. In turn, this actually speeds up the rate at which your injured muscle tissue can heal itself.

While ice is the oldest means for administering cryotherapy, it does have certain disadvantages. If you apply ice to an injury for too long, you risk numbness, pain, irritation of the skin and even nerve damage in extreme cases. Not only that, but using an ice pack requires that you stay stationary while you apply it. All Biofreeze requires is a quick, one-time application, and then you are ready to go again.

In addition to being less dangerous and more portable than ice packs, Biofreeze actually works faster than ice. A study called “Effects of Menthol on Skeletal Muscle Blood Flow,” published 2007 by Brandon Hollis in a journal called Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, shows that menthol-based products can achieve the same effects as ice in approximately a quarter of the same amount of time. Menthol ointments such as Biofreeze cut down blood flow in the afflicted area much more quickly, and almost all of the patients interviewed in the study claimed that the pain reduction effects of menthol-based products like Biofreeze lasted longer than ice after the initial application.

This study was conducted on twelve individuals, both male and female, between the ages of 21 and 32. After the application of both the ice packs and menthol ointments, researchers then monitored blood flow in the area using ultrasound.