Too many years of riding a Harley (and one too many cycle crashes) has left me with reoccurring neck and back pain, but over time I have found effective means to deal with it, so thought I'd share it in case anyone else has this problem. For neck pain, I use a Chinese liniment called 'Wood Lock': https://www.herbganic.co.uk/woodlock-oil.html ....in combination with a hand-worn massager (I use Oster Stim-U-Lax Handheld Massager from vminnovations.com) to rub it in. The liniment works like BenGay used to before they 'improved' the formula, and the massager dissolves muscle tension, spasms, etc. For back pain, I also use WoodLock to start, but the the hand massager obviously cannot reach the back, so I use the Body Sport Massager from HealthyKin.com. Unfortunately it requires someone to operate it, so you would need to track down a cheap masseuse. I find one session a week is enough maintenance to keep me reasonably pain-free. ...
That is good news I use a gel from America, no horrible smell and works better than pills I also use a Tens pen but need someone to use it on me, but is very good also
I find the tens machines do nothing for me at all... I have had 2 operations on my back and also 2 cortisone injections in my lower lumber region in the last 10 years ( double herniated disc problems) and arthritis now between C1 to C7 of my Vertebrae.. Currently I also have tendinitis in both shoulders, so it's impossible for me to reach behind my back or waist myself.. but I'm always on the look out for anything that might help with the pain, so thank you for that @Neville Telen
I have had several bad car accidents, and horseback riding accidents; so I also have back, hips, neck and knee pain. I use a liniment similar to BenGay, or Icy-Hot and then I use an aloe Vera gel and/or DMSO when I need to. I have found that as long as I avoid inflammatory foods, I have a LOT less pain; so I do try to keep away from those, and eat mostly the anti-inflammatory foods instead. We also have one of the little hand-held massagers, and that helps a lot, especially with neck pain.
Actually the Wood Lock (full name: Wong To Yick WOOD LOCK) is easy to find in USA. I get it at Chinatown in Frisco, but it can be bought from Ebay, Bonanza.com, jet.com, and so on. I just gave a Brit source so Euros could try it. Be forewarned, it has a potent menthol smell, (maybe worse than Vicks Salve), and you will want to wash your hands thoroughly after use...if any trace gets in your eyes it makes pepper spray seem tame.
I figured the strong menthol scent would be a deal-breaker, which is why I warned you about it. Do consider the the vibrator thingie though, especially the big Body Sport one.....there are no words to describe how much better my back is after an hour. Before I absolutely hated to give the masseuse $25 to work on my back, but now that I take it in to the session, I feel so good the $25 seems a total bargain.
Notice in the link that the neck and back do not move. Might be a good workout for we older folks. https://www.facebook.com/groups/nrzofnr/permalink/10155124563801817/