How Do Pain Relief Patches Actually Work to Stop Pain?

Release time：2023-10-27    Click：173

If you deal with chronic or acute pain, you may have wondered about those pain relief patches you see in pharmacies and online. But how do they actually work to ease the pain? Understanding the science behind these medicated patches can help you use them most effectively.  

How do pain relief patches relieve pain？

Pain relief patches contain active ingredients like lidocaine, menthol, capsaicin, or NSAIDs absorbed through the skin. These target pain receptors in a localized area to block pain signals being sent to the brain. Lidocaine works by numbing nerve endings. Menthol and capsaicin create a cooling or heating sensation that distracts from pain.

The ingredients are embedded into an adhesive hydrogel patch that sticks directly to the skin over the pained area. The hydrogel slowly releases the medication consistently over the course of several hours up to a full day. This provides long-lasting, consistent relief as you go about your daily activities.

Unlike oral pain medication that must travel through the digestive system, patches allow direct absorption into the bloodstream through the skin. This means faster relief with smaller amounts of active ingredients. The extended-release prevents spikes and crashes too.

Using pain relief patches at the first sign of pain can help prevent pain signals from amplifying in the nervous system and becoming chronic issues. Precise patch placement and rotation of application sites are key to getting optimal results. 

    Now that you understand the science behind how ingredients are delivered through the skin, you can better utilize pain relief patches as part of your overall pain management regimen. Kangdi Medical is worthy of your trust. If you want to know more pain relief patch information, you are always welcome to consult us.