Do you suffer from aching feet? Do you have trouble standing for long periods of time? Are you looking for something to help you feel better that isn’t a pill?

If you suffer from foot pain—and studies have shown that about 8 out of 10 Americans do, then you’ve probably tried your fair share of foot pain relief products to relieve your plantar fasciitis, bunions, athlete’s foot, ingrown toe nails or blisters. In fact, it’s estimated that at least 75% of Americans suffer from foot pain at some point in their lives.

One thing you may not have tried is topical pain relief. What is topical pain relief, you ask? In the case of foot pain, it’s foot pain relief products that you can apply directly to the skin (think rubs, gels and ointments). There are lots of topical foot pain relief products available at your local pharmacy.

When it comes to foot pain relief products, there’s no doubt there’s lots of brands and lots of products available, but if you’re big on reading product labels, you might want to do so. Why? The answer is simple: there are a lot of different ingredients in different pain relievers and it helps to know what you’re putting on your body.

If you’re ignorant of different pain relief ingredients, here’s a primer to help you know what you’re buying:

• Capsaicin: When you hear the word capsaicin, you might think of spicy peppers. But that well-known ingredient that gives peppers their heat is also used in many topical pain relievers. If you get a cream or a gel with capsaicin in it, you’re likely going to feel a warming sensation on your skin when you apply it. But the feeling isn’t an overwhelming burning sensation and it will help you feel better.
• Salicylates: This might be an unfamiliar word, but these are pain relievers you often find in aspirin. This is just that pain reliever in cream form.
• Counterirritants: You’ve likely seen these before under names like menthol and campor on a tube gel or a tube of cream. They are labeled as counterirritants because they create a burning or cooling sensation that distracts a person from the fact that they’re in pain.

Make no mistake, pain pills are effective. But the side effects—rashes, ulcers, depression, fatigue, heartburn, nausea, upset stomach and other symptoms— can add up quickly. If you’re tired of downing handfuls of aspirin, there are many benefits to switching to topical pain relievers, which include:

• Faster relief: Since topical pain relievers don’t have to travel through the body to get to a problem area, you’ll get faster relief if you’re using a foot pain relief product to quell your foot pain. This works better for those with intense pain who need quick relief.
• Direct relief: Plain and simple, if you’ve got foot pain, you can take a cream or a gel and apply it to wherever you’re got pain. The same thing goes for a gel for earache relief or, dry skin cream, age spot cream; you simply apply it to the area where the pain is and wait for the relief to roll in.
• Fewer side effects: As noted above, there are numerous side effects associated with pills. But if you’re using topical pain relievers you’ll get faster relief and noticeably fewer side effects.
• Personalized relief: Depending on what kind of pain you have, a doctor can actually create and prescribe a personalized topical pain relief plan to help with back pain, foot pain or whatever pain you have.

Whether you’re dealing with foot pain, back pain, chronic sleep issues, joint pain, eczema or other issues, topical pain relief can be a godsend. It works fast, it’s direct and has far fewer side effects than standard aspirin. With the right topical pain relief, you can be pain-free in a matter of days or weeks.