Is that neck pain getting to you again? Check out these best Japanese pain relief patches and say sayonara to all that pain! Have you heard about Japanese pain relief patches? I am a huge fan of these medicinal patches. It helps relieve or block your pain, without passing through the digestive tract.
Japan is a huge fan of the best Japanese pain relief patches, and you should be too. Pain relief patches are known as shippu in Japan, and you find a huge variety in any drugstore that you visit. In fact, shippus are so popular, they have now become souvenir items.
Here’s a quick summary of the best Japanese pain relief patches:
| Best Japanese Pain Relief Patches | Best For |
| Roihi-tsuboko Pain Relief Patches | Small areas like the base of your jaw |
| Salonpas Japanese Pain Relieving Patches | Muscle soreness, sprains, backache, joint pain, or neck pain |
| Pip Elekiban Japanese Pain Relief Patch | Stiff shoulders and neck |
| Salonpas Pain Relieving Gel Patch | Stiff neck, sore muscles, neck pain, wrist pain, shoulder pain, backache, and joint pain |
| Nichiban Roihi Tsuboko Cool Pain Relief Patches | Numbing pain relief |
| Refanda Cool Pain Relief Patches | Muscle pain, ankle pain, knee pain, and backache |
The best part about using the best Japanese pain relief patches is that you do not swallow the medicine, lowering your chances of battling side effects. The pills we pop enter our digestive tract, and most often than not, end up giving us a side effect we did not ask for.
Oral medicines can give you uncomfortable or dangerous side effects, which could be avoided by using a pain relief patch instead. Pain relief patches release medicine to the targeted area and do not go through our digestive system. There is a lower risk of distressing the liver, stomach, or intestines.
In fact, doctors are increasingly recommending the use of pain relief patches instead of oral drugs to get relief from pain.
Top Pain Relief Patches From Japan
#1 — Roihi-tsuboko Pain Relief Patches
Roihi-tsuboko by Nichiban is one of the best selling pain patches. These pain patches are unlike the standard patches. The regular patches that you must have seen are square, but the Roihi-tsuboko patches are round.
shape and small size, you can apply them to smaller areas like the base of your jaw. Unlike the standard pain-relief patches, they do not curl.
The patch is strong and will effectively help relieve you of pain.
However, there are a few things you should take care of:
- You should never apply this patch (or any other patch) on any cuts, rashes, or membrane.
- Always do a patch test before use.
- If you have redness, rashness, or itchiness after use, discontinue.
- Do not use it one hour prior to or after your bath/shower.
Apart from these general precautions, the patch is really brilliant and will give you quick relief from pain.
#2 — Salonpas Japanese Pain Relieving Patches
The Salonpas pain relieving patches are perfect for minor aches and pains. The patches help with muscle soreness, sprains, backache, joint pain, or neck pain. It provides you relief for up to 8 hours.
If you are facing discomfort, or are unable to go on with your daily tasks due to pain, you may want to consider getting these pain relief patches. However, make sure that you are applying the patch no more than 3 to 4 times a day.
If you are targeting your pain, slap it on the area before you go to sleep and you will wake up without the pain.
#3 — Pip Elekiban Japanese Pain Relief Patch
Pip Elekiban is a magnetic pain relief patch. This is another popular Japanese pain relief patch that works very well to relieve you from stiff shoulders and neck.
Are you someone who spends the majority of the day in front of a computer screen? Most of us are. In such cases, back pain and stiffness in the neck and shoulder are inevitable.
Thanks to our hectic life, we cannot visit a masseur every day (or even once every two days) to get a good, therapeutic massage that zaps out the pain. So in such cases, you can get this pain relief patch.
This pain relief patch uses magnetism to stimulate blood circulation, breaking the vicious circle of pain, and finally relieving stiff muscles to provide relief. Unlike the other medicinal patches, you can keep it on your skin for days. However, that, of course, depends on the area you are applying it to.
You can have these magnetic patches on even when you are in the shower. The adhesive in these magnetic patches is strong enough to hold onto your skin.
#4 — Salonpas Pain Relieving Gel Patch
Salonpas pain relieving patches are highly popular in Japan. This gel pain relieving patch uses hydro-gel based technology to give you relief from pain. It has a high percentage of Lidocaine that helps numb pain. It provides temporary relief from pain and stiffness. It’s a good choice for stiff neck, sore muscles, neck pain, wrist pain, shoulder pain, backache, and joint pain. Directly put this patch on the affected area. The effect lasts for about 8 hours.
#5 — Nichiban Roihi Tsuboko Cool Pain Relief Patches
Here’s another one of the best Japanese pain relief patches. This one provides numbing pain relief and gives a cooling sensation to the aggravated area. This box contains 156 patches.
#6 — Refanda Cool Pain Relief Patches
This best Japanese pain relief patch acts as a numbing agent when applied to the aggravated area. It calms aggravated nerves to reduce pain. The pack contains 6 pieces. This can be used to relieve muscle pain, ankle pain, knee pain, and backache.
Best Pain Relief Patches: FAQs
How to choose the right Japanese pain relief patch?
You should choose a Japanese pain relief patch or a shippu depending on the type of pain you are suffering from. Generally, we classify pain into two types – sudden pain and chronic pain.
Sudden pain develops due to a strain in the muscles by engaging in some activities. Have you ever faced pain in your muscles after a tough workout? Yes, that’s what I am talking about. A pain that has suddenly developed due to activity.
Chronic pain, on the other hand, is a pain that has been bothering you for a long time.
When you choose a shippu, you need to know the kind of pain you have. A shippu that works well for a sudden pain will not be as effective for chronic pain.
Types of Japanese Pain Relief Patches
There are two general types of pain relief patches available – relief type and block type.
The pain relief type shippu contains weak ingredients, which is less strenuous for your body.
Whereas, the pain block type shippu contains powerful ingredients. You can use the latter for sudden pain caused due to strenuous activities. However, since it contains stronger ingredients, it should not be used by pregnant women and people with asthma.
For chronic pain, you may want to choose a weak pain relief type shippu as you would want to use it regularly.
However, if you have sensitive skin, avoid a shippu that contains ingredients such as capsaicin.
Benefits of Using Japanese Pain Relief Patches
You already know everything about the tremendous advantages these pain relief patches have over the traditional oral pills.
However, if you are still not sold on the idea, let’s look at the advantages all over again to finally make you believe in these patches –
- Pain relief patches are safe to use, with hardly any side effects. They do not hamper our stomach, intestines, or liver.
- They are localized, meaning they provide medicine only to the affected part.
- When you take pills, you need to take it every few hours, or twice a day. However, a patch keeps releasing medicine for up to 12 hours.
- It does not clash with other drugs.
- There is no risk of overdosing.
- You can remove the patch once the pain subsides, which is not the case with oral pills.
These best Japanese pain relief patches will help you get rid of pain without any oral medications. Enjoy a stress-free and pain-free life with these best Japanese pain relief patches!
How To Use Japanese Pain Relief Patches?
It is quite simple actually. You just slap a pain relief patch on the area that is giving you trouble. Once applied, the patches release medicine to the affected area for about 8 to 12 hours.
Who should NOT use salonpas?
The following people should not use salonpas:
- under 18
- pregnant or breastfeeding
- someone with a history of stomach bleeding
- someone with heart-related condition
- someone who is going to have a heart surgery or someone who has recently had a heart surgery
- If you have any complication, please speak to your doctor before using salonpas
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Erika is the main author of the website. She is obsessed with Japanese products and always looks for an opportunity to share her love for Japanese products with everybody around her! She combined her love for writing, research and testing products to create Best Japanese Products. When she’s not reviewing latest Japanese products, you’ll find her pampering her cats. Erika is the definition of ‘The Crazy Cat Lady’.