En studie til som viser at smertestillende krem påført på huden kan dempe trykksensitivitet i triggerpunkter.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3337242/

3 forskjellige kremer ble brukt: the Ben-Gay Ultra Strength Muscle Pain Ointment (BG), the Professional Therapy MuscleCare Roll-on (PTMC roll-on) and Motion Medicine Cream (MM)

With regards to pressure threshold, PTMC roll-on, BG and MM showed significant increases in pain threshold tolerance after a short-term application on a trigger points located in the trapezius muscle. PTMC roll-on and BG were both shown to be superior vs placebo while PTMC was also shown to be superior to IH in patients with trigger points located in the trapezius muscle on a single application.

Several studies have investigated the effect of such topicals in the treatment of osteoarthritis, particularly of the knee [18,19]. However, there appears to be a lack of studies investigating the effects of topical agents for the treatment of MPS or MTrP. A randomized, placebo-blinded clinical trial of non-pharmacological topical analgesics was conducted comparing leading national and professional brands in the treatment of a myofascial trigger point.

The effectiveness of the topical analgesics that showed clinically significant improvements in cervical spine pressure threshold may be due to several factors. Eucalyptus oil, that was found in the PTMC solution, has been shown to transport active ingredients deep into the subcutaneous tissues [28,29]. Camphor and menthol, found in both BG and PTMC, have been proven to provide immediate pain relief [19,30,31]. Glucosamine sulfate, chondroitin sulfate, dimethyl sulfoxide and Boswellia serrata extract, found in the PTMC roll-on formulation, have been shown to improve circulation and reduce inflammation, thus reducing pain in the short-term [19,32,33]. In addition, magnesium chloride, which is unique to the PTMC roll-on, has been shown to be effectively absorbed through the dermis into muscle [34,35].

This study demonstrated that some topical analgesic products do reduce myofascial pain or tenderness.

PTMC roll-on and BG were significantly superior to the placebo in the short-term reduction of myofascial tenderness. Furthermore, the PTMC roll-on demonstrated that it was significantly superior to the IH in the short-term reduction of myofascial tenderness.