Australian dream back pain

CONSIDER THIS…

So there I was…watching a favorite show on TV (taking a break from creating posts for my websites) and a man with the kindest sort of smile, Chuck Woolery, does a commercial for Australian Dream.  He states that the cream is effective for the relief of minor aches and pains.

Chuck goes on to state that the company for this product has an “empty jar” money back guarantee.  If anyone uses the entire jar and does not obtain relief all they have to do is send back the empty jar to get  a full refund.  Chuck wouldn’t lie to us would he?

By the way Chuck also promotes the Willow Curve (click here for my review) which is also for chronic joint pain.  So it seems Chuck has gotten into treatments for chronic pain…hmmm.  The thought went through my mind, “Does Australian Dream work?”  So I did some research and here is the post on what I found…

NAME:  Australian Dream

PRICE:  15.99$ to 38.00$ (depending on the size of the container) at Amazon.com

OWNER:  Phillip Moddox, President and CEO of Nature’s Health Connection (NHC), Inc.

WEBSITE:  AustralianDream.com

TARGET POPULATION:  People with minor aches and pains of joints and muscles seeking temporary relief.

COMPANY PRODUCT:  Australian Dream is a cream that is applied externally 3 or 4 times per day for the relief of minor aches and pains.

MY RANKING:  8/10

BACKGROUND…

Australian Dream is a cream that is applied to the skin for minor aches and pains.  It is actually not from Australia nor is it sold there.  It is manufactured by an unnamed company in Florida (the contact people for NHC would not reveal the identity of the manufacturer when asked.  Two possible customer service numbers are 888-600-4642 or 606-668-6533).

Nature’s Health Connection is headquartered at 230 Plummer Street, Campton, Ky, 41301.  They have been in business for 16 years and this is the only location for the company.  They have 4 or less employees and have an annual business sales volume of 750,000$ or less.  NHC is the labelling (marketing) company which distributes the cream. 

WHAT’S IN IT…

“Australian Dream” (I was unable to determine how they arrived at this name) has inactive as well as active ingredients.  They are listed as follows:

HOW DOES IT WORK…

The inactive ingredients presumably have no medicinal value.  They are utilized in the cosmetic industry to provide a pleasing aroma, a smooth texture, and as a vehicle to evenly suspend the therapeutic substance for skin application.

Skin reacts to oils, creams, and gels differently.  Generally an oily preparation hydrates skin making it softer.  Oils also are a bit messy and can mark clothing.  Creams are less hydrating but will usually not stain clothing.  Gels actually dry the skin surface leaving it “flakey.”  So many manufacturers use creams as a nice intermediate carrier for their therapies.

Histamine Dihydrochloride is the active ingredient in Australian Dream.  It was originally used as an injectable medicine in the treatment of a specific type of leukemia. As a topical agent (that is applied to the skin) it works as a “rubifacient.”    Rubifacients cause the skin to become irritated to a greater or lesser degree dilating (or enlarging) small surface blood vessels.

This evokes a warming sensation to the area where the cream is applied.  The result is a complex sensory reflex that is stimulated and sends neural signals back to the spinal cord.  In the spinal cord the transmission of pain is diminished.  Subsequently, the perception of pain is diminished and a person feels less pain.

This is the mechanism whereby most over-the-counter pain relieving creams work.  It is not by their direct absorption into the bloodstream but by their “counter-irritative” effect.  This is similar to many other pain relieving therapies such as hot packs, cold packs, and even acupuncture.

The mechanism is quite complex and was described by Drs. Melzack and Wall in 1965.  They coined the term “gate theory” for pain modulation in the spinal cord. Their description of the spinal cord pain transmission was like that of a gate.  If you “close the gate” you don’t let the pain transmission through.

Counter irritants or rubifacients probably work through a similar mechanism.  So really then, Australian Dream isn’t just placebo (all medications that are consciously taken can have a placebo effect).

PROS…

• Cheap relative to other prescription medications
• Safe as it is not ingested
• Easy to use as it is applied to the skin
• Over-the-counter so you do not have to obtain a Doctor’s prescription to use it
• Readily available in stores and on-line
• Has a “jar back” guarantee
• Is made in the U.S.
• The company has an excellent Better Business Bureau rating

CONS…

• The active ingredient may cause a skin reaction that can evoke allergic symptoms (several people have complained on-line about this). Remember that histamine is the key substance in acute allergic reactions.  If a person is highly allergic they will want to be very careful using this substance.  If you are thinking to use it you may want to put a small amount on your arm to see if you react to it.
• Notice that in the “inactive ingredient” list chondroitin is listed. The source for the chondroitin is shellfish.  If you have a shellfish allergy (quite common) you may have a significant allergic reaction to this cream.
• Because of the “counter-irritative” effect you must avoid getting the cream in your eyes.
• Caution is recommended in pregnant women (I could find no explanation for this).
• Placing the cream onto an open wound is also not recommended.
• Tightly wrapping the area after the cream is applied is also not recommended (presumably this would increase the skin irritation too much).

RECOMMENDATION…

Because of the allergic symptoms that can be evoked with this product I have given it an 8 out of 10. Therefore, my recommendation is:

THIS PRODUCT SHOULD BE USED UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF A LICENSED MEDICAL PRACTITIONER.

SUMMARY…

We have reviewed Australian Dream for you.  Indeed the product works (as do many other products that are much cheaper and less allergenic).  I have gone ahead and listed several other products that you can try.

I hope you have enjoyed this post.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO E-MAIL ME A COMMENT ON THIS POST.  I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU.

Wishing you much joy and peace,

Jeff