Does anyone have any knowledge of whether CT Cream™ with A.C.P. really works?
I have no direct knowledge about that specific product, but having reviewed your link, I’m about 99.9% sure it’s crap.
QtM, MD
This site has a good explanation of the causes and treatment of tennis elbow. They recommend the classic RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. No mention of any creams.
The cream is supposed to be revolutionary and backed by physicans. At $10 an ounce either claim could be true.
What makes it work is that A.C.P. I tried that in the gas tank once, and it did the trick!
Being a chronic epicondylitis sufferer myself, I feel well-equipped to address this.
I notice that the website doesn’t claim it will “cure” your tennis elbow, nor even that it will relieve your pain. As a matter of fact, it says:
What they’re actually claiming is:
And:
The NIH, in two studies, says that arnica, used for centuries for bruising, does not work.
The other two ingredients are choline and vitamin B6. If the “choline” they’re referring to is choline salicylate, it is used to reduce inflammation and pain, being chemically related to aspirin. But it sounds like they’re just referring to “choline”, which is part of the vitamin B complex and isn’t the same thing.
I can’t speak to the gee-whiz patent-pending “binary” transdermal delivery process, but my personal opinion is that if they really had patented a more effective way to administer medicine transdermally (assuming that their elbow cream actually had any “medicine” in it, which apparently it doesn’t), that they would be more interested in sitting back and raking in the profits by marketing their “binary transdermal system” to the pharmaceuticals industry, instead of hawking their 21st century snake oil to what must be a fairly limited market base.
This cream does have vitamins in it, which is good for you; however, I can’t find offhand any references to transdermal absorption of vitamins (other than Vitamin D), so I’m going to assume that it’s “probably not”, that the B vitamins just lay there on your skin.
My reading on tennis elbow that I did last year for myself indicated that treatment consists basically of good nutrition and rest, i.e. you stop doing the things that make your elbow flare up, you eat right, and you let it heal.
Interestingly, one cutting-edge PT technique that I ran across last year was deep massage to the elbow, the theory being that increased blood flow speeds healing. I can’t speak for it myself, but I suppose it couldn’t hurt, and so if you spent a few minutes several times a day rubbing any kind of cream into your elbow, that might account for the “results” they’re claiming.
Thanks for the replies. Looks like it’s a trip to the doctors for a steriod shot!
That’s steroid. But first you should consider trying a forearm strap, along with a trial of rest, ice, and even non-steroidal anti-inflammatories. Let your doc 'splain it to you.
Steroid injections can be very, very helpful. But I wouldn’t recommend using them as the first line of treatment.
Thanks QtM. Will do. 