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I see ads for herbal knee pain patches. My 99-year-old mother has bone on bone knee pain and arthritis. Cortisone and gel shots have not helped. She uses Biofreeze which she thinks helps a little. Has anyone had experience with the patches? Do they work? Any side effects? Thanks for any info.

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I’m a retired Massage Therapist so I can tell you with some certainty that patches and skin creams are for muscle aches and very rarely do they bring relief to joints because of the skin being a very necessary barrier. That being said their is a therapeutic solution I used successfully with my late husband who was a cancer patient. He had cancerous tumors actually replacing the bone material of his lumbar spine. Nothing helped to relieve the pain, even opioids. But if I put an ice pack on the affected area and put a heating pad on the opposite side he would have almost immediate relief (after initial warming up do be sure to turn it to a low setting for elderly patients due to burning risks). 20 minutes out of each hour until relief is experienced.
The two differing temperatures created a moist heat but also turned off pain receptors that were slightly “confused” by 2 types of sensations. Ice is your friend for pain and inflammation but our elderly ones don’t like the cold do the heating pad helps address that as well.
Otherwise I have noticed that CBD orals (tinctures or edibles) with low milligrams of THC (must be indica) taken at night in very small doses are effective at reducing the levels of the pain over time and improves sleep quality but it’s very important to start small and not get an elderly patient dizzy which they are prone to do.
Bone on bone means the nerves are impinged and nerve paid does not respond to NSAIDS as effectively as to Acetaminophen but as always there are risks so do consult her Primary Care Physician for dosage advice or interactions with other medications if taking any.
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bianca12 Jun 2023
Do you mean you put the ice pack on then put the heating pad on top of the ice pack? I was a bit confused about what "opposite side" meant. Thanks in advance for clarifying.
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If very potent cortisone and the gel shots have not worked, then it is extremely unlikely that anything else will help with bone on bone situations, tired.

There is something to be said for a placebo effect, however, and the presence of a patch she can see may help her, and is not likely to do any harm. Things ARE absorbed through the skin, so I would pass past her MD your intention to try this.
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Have you tried Voltaren Gel or patches?
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MACinCT May 2023
I was just about to recommend the same. The generic OTC is called difluenoc gel. It is an NSAID so check make sure there is no interaction with her meds. Bone on bone is pretty difficult and ready for surgery. If she is working with a doctor, just remember that herbals can interact with meds also. Especially at her age, you could ask the doc.
As far as OTC herbals, there is no regulation concerning dosage and formulation. Prescriptions are well studied as compared with a company that makes a product sold to thousands and not fully researched.
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Dad and I use CDB on our knees. Works great. I bought a salve (preferred) or a stick for when I can’t wash my hands immediately.
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Try Outback Oil. You can get it on Amazon or their website. It is great for nerve and muscle pain. It is pricey, but it works. They have a money-back guarantee and you do not even have to send the product back. It's definitely worth a try.
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I get a compounded cream made at compounding pharmacy. It requires a doctor's prescription. Here is the "recipe":
Keto 10
Keta 10
Lido 5
Cyc 1
DMSO 10
TPB
I put anywhere I have PAIN, and it works pretty quickly. If I put it on my arthritic fingers, I wear non-latex gloves over it, which keeps it working for hours.
I also take three Purity Products for my knee arthritis:
1. Joint Gel (chocolate) (shaken in one of those shakers that has the coiled metal ball)
2. G.C. Flex (which has glucosamine)
3. Flexuron
(If you call them directly, you can get 50% off the website prices.)
If your mom is 99, she's doing pretty well. I'm only 59 and falling apart! Doubt I'll make it past 89 with all of the arthritis coming on, coupled with an E4 gene. I hope you can get the compounded cream. It really helps.
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As far as I know, bone-on-bone pain has no real relief. You might use lidocaine.. but, from what I know, mostly the relief is plecebo effect.
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The dr ordered lidocaine patches for my parent and she said they really helped. She also used biofreeze at night when she went to bed. She had same problem, knee shots no longer helped and was no longer a good candidate for knee replacement due to advanced age and mobility (caused by the knee pain).

I will mention a procedure called Coolief. They go in and sever the nerves around the knee cap. Small holes and a cool laser thing is used. Some light drugs used during procedure, but she got ALOT of relief from that for well over 6 months. You might talk to her doctor or an osteo doctor about doing it. Recovery was nothing, no pain at the site and just a little sleepy right afterwards.
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AliOJ58 Jun 2023
Thanks!!
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Yes-my mother in law uses lidocaine patches. She gets a script for lidocaine 4% or 5% patches. Says it helps give relief. No miracle cure… but she’ll say it helps….and honestly she swears by aspercreme too…The roll on type.
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did u try salonpas… or any other over the counter products. I remember my grandmother years ago she use to use dw40 the oil u use for the car. I was like grandma really. I asked did it work she said yes. I was in my teens at the time. No we I’m 60. She died at the age of 95. Go figure.
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