Frequently Asked Questions about Protocel®
General Information for Using Protocel®: Pain Patches
Over the years, many individuals have found relief from pain
using Protocel® topically over an area of pain. These "pain
patches" are made as follows:
Supplies
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- DMSO - found through some health food stores or ordered online. Get DMSO in the roll-on bottle if possible. (This is not a necessity, but opens the pores of the skin to allow Protocel® to be absorbed quicker. Begin patches without it if you cannot find it or are waiting on receipt if shopping through an online supplier.)
- Quilted cosmetic cotton facial squares. They are actually rectangle shaped 2 x 3 inches or thereabouts. You can purchase these at any drug store in the cosmetic isle or a K-Mart or Walmart type store. They are sold in packages of around 100 for a very inexpensive price.
- Then you are going to need paper tape like used at the hospital. Walmart also carries this kind of tape or you can find it at a medical supply store.
- Clean the skin. Then swipe the area where the patch will be placed with a small amount of DMSO. Only use a small amount as this can irritate the skin and cause a slight rash. Also, only apply DMSO to the portion of skin that will be covered by the cotton square. As stated above, DMSO will open the pours of the skin and allow Protocel® to be absorbed quicker into the body. You do not want to go past where the square will cover as it will also draw the adhesive from the paper tape into the skin. Finally, DMSO is a pain reliever itself and is used by many major sports teams for joint aches and pains as well as vets in their animal practice.
- Next cut the cosmetic cotton facial square to the size needed, if necessary. Many will cut them in half, making them into a square. If a large area needs covered, used the entire rectangle. You will then apply either 1/4 or ½ tsp. to the square/rectangle and apply it to the skin over top of area where you have swiped the DMSO.
- Then immediately cover with the paper tape. We found that the paper tape worked best when covering these patches as it did not allow the Protocel® to bleed under the edges or between the seams. Cover the entire surface of the patch. Do not change for between 10-12 hours.