Sombra Pain, Sombra Warm, Sombra Cool, what's the diff?

[MALTENG]

:?

I've used Sombra for years, but with the new products I'm a bit puzzled. I can't honestly say that I feel the difference. Anyone?

 

[gymnast2014]

Hmmm, good question. Just received some free samples but haven't tried them yet. What Sombra product(s) have you been using, and what has your experience with them been? Do you have any particular recommendations regarding the use of those Sombra products you are familiar with?

 

[gultin]

Where is Sombraman when ya need him!?!?!?

 

[VINTAGE MUSIC]

Hmmm, good question. Just received some free samples but haven't tried them yet. What Sombra product(s) have you been using, and what has your experience with them been? Do you have any particular recommendations regarding the use of those Sombra products you are familiar with?

I've had a great response to the product, people love it! I use it straight on areas I've just finished working, or I'll add a dab with a bit of oil when I get to work on a particularly fired up area.

You do need to use care after handling it though, cause even when you wash your hands there is a strong "residue" of the menthol and camphor. You don't want to get that near any sensitive areas like the eyes.

 

[Lore]

You don't want to get that near any sensitive areas like the eyes.

don't be stickin your finger in yer eye after using sombra...

t116
i just wanted to use that emoticon.

 

[Jennifer B]

Sombra

Sombraman here. The cool therapy has very similar inactive ingredients as the original 'warm therapy' pain gel, but we use a lemon peel extract instead of an orange peel extract for the warm. It provides a nice scent and also serves as an anti-inflammatory agent. The cool therapy pain gel has no camphor or capsaicin so it has no warming element. It would be used for actue injuries where a cryotherapy method would be used and has shown to very effective for joint pain caused from trauma or sports injuries. The original 'warm therapy' actually has a warming and cooling element, which it makes it useful for both acute and chronic injuries, but it would primarily be used for chronic conditions like arthritis and fibromyalgia conditions. I'll come back tomorrow and follow-up on this.

Jeff

 

[tinkerbelle]

Sombra

I'll come back tomorrow and follow-up on this.

Jeff

Thanks Jeff, we'd really appreciate your insights and advice on the Sombra products!

 

[Nicole J]

Sombra

Sombraman here. The cool therapy has very similar inactive ingredients as the original 'warm therapy' pain gel, but we use a lemon peel extract instead of an orange peel extract for the warm. It provides a nice scent and also serves as an anti-inflammatory agent. The cool therapy pain gel has no camphor or capsaicin so it has no warming element. It would be used for actue injuries where a cryotherapy method would be used and has shown to very effective for joint pain caused from trauma or sports injuries. The original 'warm therapy' actually has a warming and cooling element, which it makes it useful for both acute and chronic injuries, but it would primarily be used for chronic conditions like arthritis and fibromyalgia conditions. I'll come back tomorrow and follow-up on this.

Jeff

Jeff - Thanks for the info! Could you expand a bit on what situations/conditions you would most recommend the various Sombra products for? A "quick reference" list of sorts would make it easier to understand when it would be appropriate to recommend one product over another.

Thanks!

 

[khalid]

I have actually never heard of Sombra. (Must be that darn rock I live under : )

I have been using Biofreeze and Prossage in my practice. Could someone explain the difference between these products and Sombra. I may want to try Sombra for when I give massages. And can one re-sell the product like with Biofreeze?

Thanks!
Brian

 

[I <3 Pomeranians]

Cool or Warm?

The irony! One reason I never got to the board yesterday until the end of my day (4:30 mtn) was because I was working on an interview I have today with 'Massage Magazine' on cyrotherapy lubricants for massage therapists. Cryotherapy is actually the cover story for their August issue and I'm not too sure on how involved the story will be, but I do know they are conducting quite a few interviews. Cryotherapy is what our new 'Cool Therapy' pain relieving gel is and our original gel is a 'Warm Therapy', which actually has cooling and warming elements to it. Cyrotherapy is the use of cold to treat actue pain and actue inflammation and is sometimes used for chronic conditions. Applying cold reduces the temperature of an effected area, restricts blood vessels and prevents fluids from leaking into surrounding areas. Cold decreases the sensitivity of nerve endings, resulting in a numbing sensation. This both distracts the patient from thinking about the pain an increases the pain threshold. A cold treatment is best adminstered 24 to 48 hours after the initial injury and is often involved with the basic four-step recovery method known as RICE - rest, ice, compression and elevation. Thats the basics on cyrotherapy and if you are familiar with most of the topical lubricants used for pain relief they are mainly cyrotherapy products and the active ingredient is most often menthol, which provides the cooling element. Sombra's original 'Warm Therapy' pain gel, as I mentioned, does have both a cooling and warming element, but is mostly used for chronic conditions like arthritis, fibromyalgia, and basic aches and pains that just do not go away. Massage therapists use it primarily for post-massage or point therapy and it will not leave a medicinal, nasty odor on your clients. The scent is from the orange peel extract, which also serves as a anti-inflammatory agent and we use a lemon peel extract for our 'Cool Therapy' pain gel. The effectiveness of the two gels has some similarities and the 'cooling gel' has really started to do quite well. But the difference is that one is a cyrotherapy product - a cool therapy topical pain relieving gel used for acute conditions, and the other is a warm therapy topical pain gel (original Sombra) used for chronic conditions.

Sorry for throwing all that out in one paragraph, but I'll certainly be around if anyone has questions.

Jeff

 

[mary G]

Cool or Warm?

Sorry for throwing all that out in one paragraph, but I'll certainly be around if anyone has questions.

Jeff

Yup. Still have questions. I understand the use of Cryotherapy vs Fomentations ... is your 'warm therapy' still in the Cryotherapy family? In other words is it a vasodilator or a vasoconstrictor?

Also, I am still curious how the products differ from BioFreeze and Prossage.

Thanks in advance
Brian

 

[Gavin]

Differences

I will allow someone else to explain the differences as I am a bit biased, plus I'm sure there are plenty of therapists who have tried both lines. Your other question (vasodilator or vasoconstrictor) will have to wait for a more technical response from either our chemist or our President as neither are here today - no lie! The 'warm therapy' goes on cold because of the menthol (3%) and then heats-up due to the camphor and capsaicin. Because the gel contains no oils, the penetration of the active ingredients is quick and long-lasting and the cooling element will provide a cold treatment - a numbing effect if you will. The warming elements are noticiable for hours and can even be re-activated the next day by perspiration or moisture.

Sombraman

 

[Rock Kills Kristy]

Vasoldilator or vasconstrictor

In response to the vasodilator question, and it is as I suspected I just preferred to have a chemist's feedback. But because our (Sombra) gel does not effect the vascular system there is no vasodilator or vasoconstrictor response.

Sombraman

 

[They Call Me Nardo]

I love Sombra. Have used the Prossage & Biofreeze and can only say... cstbrian - Dude! You're missing out!!!!

I haven't used their "Cold" one, only the "Warm" one for years now.

What I am interested in is the "Pain" one that was mentioned in the Title heading of this thread. Any takers?

 

[typical]

Sombra Pain?

Pueppi,

Not familiar with anything called, 'Sombra Pain', as our warm and cool gels are our only pain formulas, although our massage lotion is a therapeutic lotion as it does have warming properties.

It would certainly be a more descriptive name, but I'm not really that fond of it.

Sombraman

 

[jelainazareno]

Sombra Pain?

Pueppi,

Not familiar with anything called, 'Sombra Pain', as our warm and cool gels are our only pain formulas, although our massage lotion is a therapeutic lotion as it does have warming properties.

It would certainly be a more descriptive name, but I'm not really that fond of it.

Sombraman

Thanks for the info. I hadn't heard of it and thought it was soemthing new.

Keep it like it is... a warm and cool - as far as I am concerned. Too many choices confuse me.

Can I say take me to Aldi??!!! (Looks like they are coming to America. Not sure if they will have the limited selections like Europe. I'll have to wait and see.)

 

[Pompal 09.]

Sombra Pain?

Can I say take me to Aldi??!!! (Looks like they are coming to America. Not sure if they will have the limited selections like Europe. I'll have to wait and see.)

Aldi has been in America since I was a child, at least! :shock: We have them all over the place in WI, IA and IL. And yes, they have a pretty limited selection. 8)

 

[ilovejustinbieber(:]

I referred to "Sombra Pain" in the title because I've seen the "pain relieving gel", "warm therapy" and "cold therapy" all on various Sombra product labels. I wasn't sure if the pain was different, or simply the warm therapy relabeled, which it sounds like it was.

Thanks Jeff for a very clear answer to the differences, and probably the main reason I wasn't sure of the diff was the confusion over the labeling as well as the original being both warming and cooling - which is what I'm most familiar with.

I've been using it personally on my tennis elbow and like my clients - I love it! 8)