Soothanol X2 (1 oz)

I have been using Smoothanol for about a month and am finally able to hike and work in my garden without the annoyance of an aching knee.Two years ago I started having pain in my left knee. Suspecting a torn meniscus, I went to an orthopedist who x-rayed the knee and told me I had osteo arthritis. He gave me a cortizone shot and told me my knee would feel better in a few days. It did not. I went back to the orthopedist several months later when the pain got worse and he gave me a shot of Synovisc which he claimed would cure my knee for sure. It did not. I continued to suffer on my own taking pain meds and rubbing on Aspercreme and other topicals which gave some relief. Meanwhile, because of the pain I was greatly limited in outdoor activity, lost muscle tone in my legs and stamina.Several months ago I was doing a Google search on "knee pain" and came across Smoothanol. A chemist by training, I was familiar with the powerful solvent DMSO and its ability to transport substances, for good or bad, through the skin into the body. It has long been touted as a miracle cure for arthritis used alone or with other substances. I was reluctant to try DMSO for fear it might transport potentially harmful skin bacteria into the body where they don't belong.I decided to give Smoothanol a try because of the many positive reviews, and no reports of negative reactions. The label lists ingredients with (oil of) Wintergreen first and DMSO second, which means that DMSO is less than 50%. If you do a Google search on the other ingredients you will find they are all mild irritants which means they draw blood to the area where they are applied. In theory this should speed healing. Instructions say to apply two drops to intact skin and to wash hands immediately after application to avoid contacting eyes or other sensitive areas. This certainly makes sense.I started using only one drop to my knee after showering. Immediately after application I felt a mild tingling sensation as the aching melted away. The aching slowly returned during the day, so it is not a permanent fix, but certainly gives some relief.Later I found I could get more relief by first applying Aspercreme and then applying one drop of Smoothanol to the soft tissue arould the knee joint. I shake one drop of Smoothanol onto the bottom of an inverted china coffee mug and then dip the tip of my index finger into the drop to apply it to my knee. If more than one drop comes out I apply it all, but I don't notice much difference in effectiveness.With only one month of experience I am hopeful I will continue to get relief as needed with no long term adverse consequences. I recommend anyone with knee pain or any other joint pain for that matter have it checked out by an orthpedist to confirm you have osteo arthritis and not a torn meniscus that might become further damaged if you mask the pain with Smoothanol.

In 2014 I went through a 400-caplet bottle of Naproxen Sodium and about 80-90 prescription controlled-substance pain killers for osteoarthritis in my knee... in addition to hyalgan injections every 6 months. This year I concluded the hyalgan series in January 2015, and I bought this product in February. My reasons for trying it (despite its goofy name) are far too lengthy to go into. Let's just say several of its ingredients are included in an old-time liniment recipe from semi-pro baseball in my dad's era (late 1920s). Added to that are DMSO and capsaicin which are much more modern.Does it work... FOR ME, yes. Based on the scientific reasoning of the maker, it should work. But really... those statements seem very grandiose and hard to prove so let's take it to real life comparisons.Does it really only take 2-3 or 3-4 drops... yes! How long will an ounce last? My guess is 6-12 months. How do I know it works?Well, knee pain becomes inconsequential within 10 minutes of MY using this product. AND... SINCE ITS PURCHASE in FEB '15... I have used a total of 2 Naproxen Sodium caplets and ONE prescription pain killer! That is JUST ASTOUNDING... FOUR MONTHS of use... and MANY FEWER pain pills just by using 2-3 drops several days a week (typically 3 days). So far the level of the product in the bottle (1-inch diameter by 2-inches high) has gone down about an EIGHTH INCH!This little bottle has VERY LOW odor (virtually unnoticeable by others) compared to the "secret liniment" that can be smelled from 100 yards away! This little bottle travels well. This little bottle is easier to acquire compared to finding a pharmacy today that CAN/WILL blend up a batch of the "secret liniment" for me. So we come to the end of an era... and the last of the "secret liniment" in the medicine cabinet in the bathroom can now be disposed of for the NEXT-GEN product that incorporates DMSO to take it from a topical application product to one with TRANS-DERMAL capabilities to get closer to the aches and pains needing attention. GOOD JOB, North Star! I'm spreading the word.

It leaves a strong smell of wintergreen, but it does help the pain somewhat. I really haven't used it that much because of the fragrance that it leaves. I know that the wintergreen is part of the formula and is necessary, so it can't be helped. The product is good, just not a fan of wintergreen. However if I get to hurting bad enough I will use it.

It works amazingly! It even helped to lessen my Sciatic pain more than once when I needed to be on the go, and that is saying something. It worked so well for my husband on his ankles that he has been able to walk around at work without the support of the cane he had been using. It lends me the support I need so I don't have to curtail my activities.One thing I noticed that was different from the bottle of the same purchase directly from North Star, was that this one burns a bit on my skin. The label says it contains cayenne pepper and it can react that way with some people. The way noted to prevent that is to add a drop of organic cold pressed virgin olive oil, which buffers the cayenne it contains. Worth the price many times over, lasts longer than any NSAID on the market, with the comparitive cost being much lower. It has no serious side effects that all the NSAIDS notably have. So glad North Star offers this amazing product that really help in a pinch.