Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) identified five well-known brands of pain relief patches—Mentholatum, Johnson & Johnson, Capzasin, Flexall, and others—as prone to causing mild to severe burns.While applying pain relief patches is a common habit for many, Fan Bifa, Director of the Pain Medicine Branch of the Chinese Medical Association and Director of the National Pain Diagnosis and Treatment Center at the China-Japan Friendship Hospital, cautions that these patches are not a "cure-all" and do not work for every type of pain.
Fan Bifa explains that the most common types of pain encountered clinically are bone and joint pain, muscle and soft tissue pain, and neuralgia.For osteoarthritis pain—such as lower back pain, neck pain, or lumbar pain—which relates to degenerative changes in the body, pain relief patches offer limited therapeutic effect. Commonly used medications include anti-inflammatory analgesics, neurotrophic agents, drugs that improve muscle metabolism, and treatments that enhance synovial fluid in joints. These are combined with appropriate exercise. For severe osteoarthritis pain, minimally invasive interventions or even surgical procedures may be necessary.
For muscle and soft tissue pain without open wounds or severe symptoms, pain relief patches may be used appropriately. Cold compresses are also suitable during the initial stages of a sprain. However, for more serious cases involving trauma, pain relief patches are largely ineffective. Prompt disinfection and medical attention are recommended.
For neuropathic pain like trigeminal neuralgia or sciatica, pain relief patches offer little benefit regardless of symptom severity. Treatment requires specific anti-neuralgia medications or surgical intervention.
Regarding the U.S. FDA's mention of pain relief ointments causing burns, Fan Bifa stated that he has not encountered such cases clinically. However, he has observed skin allergies like rashes and itching from using these ointments. "This occurs because some patients are allergic to certain ingredients in the medication, apply excessive amounts too frequently, or have an inherently allergic constitution,""Fang Bifa emphasized that if an allergic reaction occurs after using pain relief ointments, the only solution is to switch medications.