Sports Akileine Start Cream is the best muscle-rub I've ever tried — even better than my beloved Tiger Balm, which I adore so deeply that I have often considered brushing my teeth with it.
I first tried this stuff after really wrenching my neck while on holidays in France — the pharmacist at the local shop recommended it and it saved the trip. Instead of lying down with an icepack all week, I was running around, having fun. Minutes after applying it, I felt a deep, deep warmth in my muscles, and one by one they loosened themselves, relaxing away from the punishing spasm.
I've gone through two or three tubes since, and I just polished off my last one, after hurting my back while doing something foolish (occupational hazard — after two days this week on airplanes, it's no wonder that my back is rebelling). Ten minutes ago, I wanted to lie down and die. Now my back is a warm, comfortable thing.
A little googling turned up an American distributor for the cream — they mark it up 300 percent, but I still ordered another tube. This stuff is worth its weight in gold.
Update: Here are some cheaper places to shop for the magic sauce, courtesy of Michael and Matthew: Link, Link
Update 2: Yang adds, "And if you're in Canada, the Sports Alkileine cream is available from Mountain Equipment Co-op, also without ridiculous mark-ups." That's the wrong cream, sorry!
