Tiger balm is a remedy that has its origin in traditional Chinese medicine. It is an ointment made with plant extracts, which received the name of this animal due to the image of strength and vigor that the tiger provides, according to the OCU.
The first thing to know is that it is not a new product, far from it; its origin dates back to 1870, by the Burmese herbalist Aw Chu Kin. Born into a family of Chinese origin and related to Chinese herbalism, Aw was trained in traditional Chinese medicine in different places, until he ended up creating tiger balm.
This balm contains ingredients derived from plant extracts and mineral oils that come from petroleum., such as paraffin and petrolatum. Of all these compounds, there are some that are more active than others from the pharmacological point of view, such as camphor and menthol; although it is made up of many more ingredients: 10% menthol, 25% camphor, 6% mint essential oil, 7% clove essential oil, 5% Chinese cinnamon essential oil, 25% camphor, 8% menthol, 1.43% clove essence and 13.7% eucalyptus essence
After the death of the herbalist, it was his own children who decided to start marketing the balm. In this way, in 1909 it was already present in other countries such as Malaysia, Hong Kong, China, Thailand or Singapore, under the name of ‘Tiger Balm’ (tiger balm, in Spanish).
Over time, the balm has reached more than a hundred countries, where it is sold in large quantities. In the United States alone, the laboratory of Haw Par HealthCare Pharmaceutical Singaporeowner and responsible for manufacturing and distributing this balm, billed about 30 million dollars in sales for this product, according to data collected by Statista. Although Haw Par is the ‘original’, there are many companies that have created their own version and distribute it in different countries.
benefits of tiger balm
The suppliers of the balm place great emphasis on the long list of benefits and properties of the product, while pointing out that its effectiveness lies mainly in the mode of application: to use it correctly, it is recommended to rub the area of the body where the discomfort is felt with circular movements and wait until a sensation of heat appears; After this, a sensation of freshness usually appears, confirming that the application has had the desired effect. It can be used two to three times a day if necessary.
As the OCU collects, tiger balm works by “trickling” nerve endings with sensations of cooling and heating, interrupting pain signals. However, the consumer organization recalls that to date the studies on this ointment and the evidence on its effectiveness are still quite scarce, although they do indicate that there are indications that these ointments could be useful for the treatment of headaches. by tension and may be able to increase blood flow to the legs if combined with massage.
In which cases is it never advisable to use this balm?
Like many medications, ointments and oils, its use is discouraged in some cases:
- Avoid use in children under 6 years of age, keep the balm out of reach.
- Do not use on mucous membranessuch as the eyes, mouth, or genital area.
- Do not apply it on irritated skin, open wounds, sores or ulcers as it could make them worse.
- Do not use it if you are allergic to any of its components.
- Use it only under the recommendation of the doctor in the case of pregnant and lactating women, as its side effects are unknown.
Source: Lasexta
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