America is suffering from a pain epidemic. Recent data suggests that up to 116 million Americans suffer from chronic, debilitating pain due to a variety of ailments and conditions. It can strip a person’s quality of life to the point they feel like they are barely surviving.
Many people are forced to rely on powerful painkillers with damaging side effects, and while these provide temporary relief, they can cause a whole host of additional problems for the sufferer.
Thankfully, there are some natural muscle care alternatives available on the market that many people swear by.
One of these alternatives which grabbed our attention recently is Doctor Chris’ MuscleCare Roll on Pain Relief, an all-natural product which claims to provide instant and long-lasting pain relief for muscles and joints, without the drugs or chemicals.
Update: We no longer recommend Roll on Relief. Luminas is a great alternative that helps relieve pain and has several celebrity endorsements.
Its creator is Dr. Chris Oswald, the CEO, and founder of MuscleCare, who has over 25 years of clinical experience in treating muscle, joint and back pain. He runs one of Canada’s leading chiropractic clinics in Toronto and has an elite client list.
Many sufferers of arthritis and various other chronic pain-causing ailments have hailed this roll on pain relief as a mini-miracle cure.
Its supporters claim it alleviates pain quickly, and unlike other topical treatments on the market, it has an all natural composition and is entirely free of side effects.
The company says that the product outperformed both national brands and placebos in clinical trials by up to 1700%, which makes it the most effective muscle care ointment available today.
With such bold claims, we decided to investigate and take a deeper look at this roll-on pain reliever to see if it really does deliver.
According to its creators, the MuscleCare Roll-On Relief works by firstly numbing the area it’s applied to with a combination of natural pain killing ingredients.
It then soothes and relaxes the affected area by pushing out inflammation and waste build up around the joint or muscle, which, according to Dr Chris Oswald, keeps reoccurring pain away for longer.
The list of conditions this roll on pain reliever claims to treat is seemingly endless, and includes things like arthritis, osteoarthritis, lower back pain, strains and sprains, neck pain, fibromyalgia, sciatica, repetitive strain injury and many more.
So is Dr Chris’roll on pain relief really as miraculous as it claims to be, or is this a classic case of too-good-to-be-true?
Let’s dig a little deeper and see what’s actually inside the product itself.
According to the MuscleCare website, the roll on pain reliever uses a combination of three natural ingredients:
Magnesium is popping up more and more these days in topical pain relief products, and there’s a large amount of anecdotal evidence to support its effectiveness for conditions such as arthritis and fibromyalgia.
Disappointingly, we weren’t able to find any solid scientific studies related to its topical application to alleviate pain, so the jury is still out on this one.
We checked in with WebMD to get their take on glucosamine. They report some success in reducing joint paint from arthritis when glucosamine is taken orally, but the effects don’t appear to be overwhelmingly significant and again, we weren’t able to find any studies that address the effectiveness of topical application.
Those who use other leading brands of muscle ointment will likely be familiar with menthol. It has a tingling, cooling effect when applied to the skin, and WebMD confirms that according to various clinical studies, it’s this sensation that brings temporary relief to localized pain.
So it seems that despite anecdotal evidence, there’s still some scientific ambiguity when it comes to two of the three main active ingredients, magnesium and glucosamine.
The website lists an impressive number of benefits to this muscle ointment; let’s take a look at a few of them:
MuscleCare roll on is completely drug free and is approved by the FDA, Health Canada, The National Drug Code, and Australia TGA. It’s also free from parabens, mineral oils and petroleum products.
People who’ve relied on pain relieving drugs like opioids for years have reportedly either cut down or stopped using them entirely and can instead rely on the roll on muscle ointment for day-to-day paint relief.
Due to it’s all natural composition, MuscleCare roll on has been given the all-clear for use during pregnancy.
MuscleCare Roll On claims it reduces pain, inflammation and muscle spasms within minutes and can last anywhere from 3 hours to a whopping 24 hours, depending on the individual.
This apparently comes from a combination of holly berry oil and menthol, which according to the website, speeds up and intensifies the absorption of the active painkilling ingredients.
If ordered through the website, they boast a 100% money back, no questions asked guarantee. If it doesn’t work for you, you can return it for a full refund, so there’s no risk involved.
The MuscleCare website states there are no known side effects to its roll on pain reliever, due to the natural, drug-free ingredients. Of course, it’s always wise to check the full active and inactive ingredients lists if you have any allergies.
At an almost $70 per unit price tag, it’s certainly not the cheapest topical muscle care on the market, which is a factor for those on a smaller budget. As such we’ve seen a number of complaints regarding price.
Those with sensitivity to menthol or who dislike the aroma may also find that it’s not the ideal product for them. Menthol has a strong and lingering aroma that some might find unpleasant.
Along with these factors, there’s also a lack of clinical studies to back up the effectiveness of some of the active ingredients when they’re applied topically.
The customer reviews on the company’s website are all, of course, extremely positive.
A more detailed search online did find that the majority of customers seem to be very satisfied with the product and its results. Let’s take a look at a few...
Brenda Munroe from Canada stated that her husband has suffered nerve pain after having both of his knees and hips replaced, and apparently had huge success with MuscleCare Roll on Pain Relief. She’s now sharing the product with loved ones.
“Our house cannot be without your great product! These rollers have made great Christmas gifts. Family and friends have traveled the world with them providing proactive and reactive care.”
Diana Einsmann, a dancer, choreographer, and instructor, reported that after she developed painful shin splints, she found completing certain elements of her job too difficult. She tried everything for pain relief, including pharmaceutical drugs and other topical balms, but when nothing worked she eventually turned to the MuscleCare roll on.
“Not only did MuscleCare provide relief from pain but it also helped my shins to heal by releasing the tension that was causing the condition in the first place.”
Another customer, Marie Baker, wrote in her blog about a suspected sprain injury that was causing her pain. She tried out Dr Chris’ roll on relief and says:
“I realized that I forgot about my ache, because it was gone!”
She recommended the product to her husband who had pulled a muscle in the upper part of his arm. The product alleviated his pain and achy feeling and the cooling effect got to work immediately.
Another reviewer reported that they found relief from their severe leg cramps “within 30 to 60 seconds” of using the product.
With such impressive reviews on both on the company website and independent review sites, it’s certainly a product worth considering if you suffer from chronic muscle or joint pain.
Without
further clinical studies on the main active ingredients, it’s not possible to
say definitively if this product can live up to its claims, however with the
one year money back guarantee, it could well be worth the gamble if you suffer
from reoccurring muscle pain, a condition such as arthritis or you are prone to
sprains and strains.
Given the number of positive reviews online we venture to say that a good
number of users are experiencing results. That said, everyone’s body is
different and may experience better or worse results.
You can buy a one month supply Dr Chris’ MuscleCare Roll On Relief for $69, down from $99.98 direct from the official website here.
Ordering directly through the website means you’ll receive the 1-year money back guarantee, so you can try it risk-free.
We recommend Luminas Pain Relief patches as a better alternative to Muscle Care.