We tried the Penetrex Joint and Muscle Cream pickleball players swear by

As a shopping reporter, nothing makes me more eager to try a product than seeing that over 53,000 people have given it a five-star rating. So, of course, that was the case with Penetrex, a naturally-inspired joint and muscle pain relief cream available to shop on Amazon.

The cream is the official joint and muscle cream of the Professional Pickleball Association — and if it works for athletes, then I have high hopes that it’ll work for everyday aches and pains.

(Spoiler alert: it totally does.)

What is Penetrex?

Penetrex is a naturally inspired “intensive concentrate cream” for joint and muscle pain. It contains arnica, vitamin B6, methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), and boswellia. Here’s what all of those natural ingredients do:

• Arnica: A herb often used in gel form to treat osteoarthritis pain
• Vitamin B6: An essential nutrient that provides better circulation and creates serotonin
• Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM): A dietary supplement that is commonly used as an anti-inflammatory
• Boswellia: A herbal extract typically used to reduce inflammation and aid in the treatment of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis

The cream’s unique transdermal delivery system penetrates deep beneath the skin into affected areas to prove long-lasting relief. The brand recommends using the cream three to four times a day for a week and as needed after that. It can be used alone or together with other treatments, including heating pads, massagers, and ice packs.

It’s recommended for use on the back, shoulder, neck, knees, elbows, hands (no, Penetrex won’t sting or irritate your eyes if you use it on your hands), and feet. A little bit goes a long way with it, too; since it absorbs deep into the skin, you won’t need a huge glob to make an impact. The size of the affected area will obviously vary by user, but our advice is to use just enough to cover the area without excess.

The whipped lotion-like cream is non-greasy and has a very light, quickly disappearing scent — unlike IcyHot, which has a cloying mentholated smell that lingers long after application.

It’s available on Amazon in 2-ounce and 4-ounce containers; both are currently on sale.

Our review:

To get the most thorough review possible, I went to someone who I knew would be able to evaluate Penetrex and how well it works properly: my mom.

I don’t often experience joint pain beyond minor aches, but she has osteoarthritis in her knee that has been a nagging issue for three years.

Her old go-to cream, Voltaren Gel, did the job just fine, but it wore off rather quickly, and the relief rarely lasted throughout the entire night. IcyHot would also work, but the lingering scent can be a detractor, and it never lasts long enough without reapplication.

But after just one week of using Penetrex — the aforementioned recommended schedule — she told me she’s noticing a significant difference.

“Penetrex goes on and [penetrates] better than Voltaren,” she said.

And not only does it absorb faster, but it lasts much longer, too.

“Usually, I lie in bed at night, and my knee aches when I’m not even walking,” she explained. “I woke up today, and my knee doesn’t ache.”

That’s been the case every day since she started using it — the nagging ache that seemed to never go away, even with intervention, is virtually gone.

As is always the case, pain relief methods are mostly subjective; what worked well for my mom may not work for you, but it’s a first-hand success story among thousands of positive reviews that has increased my belief that Penetrex really does work. If I ever find myself with a nagging injury or deep ache, I know I’ll be reaching for my mom’s jar.

The bottom line:

As if two million users and 50,000 five-star reviews weren’t enough, I’ve been convinced that Penetrex really works. Nurses, pickleball players, and my mom all agree, this product is the real deal.

Much like any long-term product commitment, it can get pricey as you use it for an extended period; there’s no denying that it’s an investment worth making if it truly does relieve joint and muscle pain.