Dr. Brent Garcia, DACM, L.Ac., LMT • March 8, 2024
For joint or muscle pain, a pain relief ointment or liniment should be applied to the affected area 2-4 times per day. This is an excellent way to relieve symptoms with very few side effects.
More importantly, topicals signal your brain to bring healing to the area. They remind the body to keep working to heal itself. That’s why you should continue using topicals even after the pain subsides until the area is back to 100% function and mobility.
There are solid over-the-counter topicals available – any of them can help.
The best: Evil Bone Water
That being said, I strongly recommend one particular product: “Evil Bone Water” by Saint Apothecary (https://www.instagram.com/evilbonewater/).
This liniment is based on a classic Chinese herbal formula used to heal fractures and broken bones. It is made with the finest quality herbs in an Everclear base, and it is manufactured in the USA.
Don’t let the name scare you
The actual name of this formula is Zheng Xie Gu Shui. The closer translation is “Rectify [or Heal] Evil Bone Water”…”evil” meaning damaged or broken, not evil per se.
Goes without saying, but I will say it anyway: this is to heal “evil” bones and tissue in the body.
Why it is the best
I love Evil Bone Water because it can be used for anything that is painful and needs to heal: muscle, tendon, ligament, skin, or bone.
It treats all sports injuries, strains, sprains, bruises, and spinal pain. You can even apply it on cuts and insect bites.
Evil Bone Water is currently sold only by licensed acupuncturists and at VA hospitals.
Ask me about it at your next treatment. And remember, this is for external use only.