Active 10 Pain Relief Cream, 8 oz Pump

The 8 oz pump is the one I keep at home. It's twice the cream of the tube at our lowest price per ounce, and the pump gives you the same amount every time, so there's no squeezing a half-empty tube.

Uses: for the temporary relief of minor aches and pains of muscles and joints associated with simple backache, arthritis, strains, bruises and sprains.

• Best value. About $4.24 an ounce, compared with $7 an ounce for the 4 oz tube.
• Cool, then warm. Menthol, capsaicin and magnesium.
• Non-greasy, non-staining. Rub it in and get dressed.
• Made in the USA. Used by chiropractors, massage therapists and trainers.

How to use it

One or two pumps covers a knee, a shoulder or your lower back. Massage it in until it disappears. Most people use it after they play or work in the yard, and again before bed. Follow the directions and warnings on the label.

Pump, tube or roll-on?

Same formula in all three. The pump is for home: you use it most days, you cover bigger areas like quads, hamstrings or your back, or two people in the house share it. The 4 oz tube fits a gym bag. The 3 oz roll-on keeps your hands clean and is carry-on size. My setup after 20+ years of teaching tennis: a pump on the bathroom counter and a roll-on in the racquet bag.

Questions we get a lot

How long does the 8 oz last?
It depends how often you use it and how much skin you cover. Someone using it once a day on one spot will get a lot more out of it than someone doing both knees and their back twice a day.

What does it feel like?
It goes on cool from the menthol, then you feel a gentle warmth from the capsaicin. That's normal.

What shouldn't I do?
Don't use it on wounds or irritated skin, don't wrap the area tightly, and don't use it with a heating pad. Wash your hands after applying it. Stop and ask a doctor if things get worse or last more than 7 days.

Goes well with

The roll-on for your bag. For tips, try the 5-minute post-match routine, read how to handle a sore lower back after golf, or see our pickleball page.

More from a tennis pro

• Sore after tennis? A coach's guide
• Sore after pickleball? What to do
• Sore legs and knees after hiking
• Sore after raking leaves or gardening
• Sore back after shoveling snow
• Sore legs after skiing
• Sore shoulders after lifting? Fixes from a tennis pro
• Sore legs and back after cycling? Fixes from a tennis pro
• Gifts for tennis and pickleball players

For external use only. Read the product label for Drug Facts, directions and warnings before use.