Tiger Balm (Red Ointment) is a very popular Thai traditional medicine used for symptomatic relief of
- Muscular pains
- Sprains
- Back pain
- Joint pain
- Tension headaches
- Neck and shoulder tension
- Stuffy nose
- Itchiness due to insect bites and even flatulence.
The usage is pretty straight forward, simply apply it on the affected area.
Tiger balm (Red Ointment) consists of:
- Camphor 25%
- Menthol 10%
- Dementholised Mint oil 6%
- Cajuput oil 7%
- Cassia oil 5%
- Clove oil 5%
- Paraffin and Petrolatum
Camphor increases blood flow to the surface of the skin, creating a warming sensation that can distract from pain and stiffness. Be aware that camphor is toxic to humans if swallow or use for long time.
Menthol improves blood circulation to the muscles, speeding up recovery time.
Dementholised mint oil relieves from itching, muscle pain, and headache.
Cajeput oil applied to the skin for mites (scabies) and a fungal infection of the skin (tinea versicolor).
Cassia oil improvs the circulation of blood throughout the body, creates a feeling of warmth in the body, alleviates pain, reduces disease-causing inflammation.
Clove oil can clear the nasal passage and eases headaches.
Avoid contact with eyes, mucous membranes and broken skin. Be aware that this treatment may cause allergic reaction in some individuals with sensitive skin. Never take it inside.
Tiger balm may stain cloth items.
The price of Tiger Balm (Red Ointment) in Thailand is about 80 baht which is approximately 2.5 USD.
Tiger Balm is a very remedy for symptomatic relief of muscular pains, I always use it the next day after a hard work-out.