I've been doing a lot of painting around the house lately, and despite the benefits of fresh walls, I could do without the neck, shoulder and back pain that goes with them. So when Michael Dixon, president of UNeMed, the technology transfer arm of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, told me about an anti-inflammatory cream developed by UNMC scientists, it was something I wanted to try.

The product is called AminoActiv, and several factors make it different from NSAID anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, aspirin, naproxen sodium and analgesics like acetaminophen.

First, it's all-natural. Researchers Jonathan Vennerstrom and Dennis Robinson based AminoActiv on three naturally occurring amino acids, which UNMC has patented under the trade name AlphaGEE.

Alpha-Gee, the active ingredient, includes natural substances that aid the body's ability to repair itself.

“This is the opposite of NSAIDS and analgesics. Although they mask pain temporarily, they also can inhibit the body's ability to heal itself," Vennerstrom said. "That's because they slow the bone recalcification, oxidation and protein synthesis necessary for building and maintaining muscle and bone strength and impede the production of collagen, which promotes tendon, ligament and joint health.

“Issues with bones, muscles and joints are the three leading causes of pain, and AminoActiv can be used to treat a wide array of conditions. Robinson said there is considerable anecdotal evidence that it helps to relieve pain associated with several neuromuscular diseases such as post polio syndrome, fibromyalgia, arthritis, migraines and multiple sclerosis and can be used for back pain and plantar fasciitis (a painful foot condition frequently experienced by runners).” Vennerstrom added, “It even seems to reduce varicose veins.”

Vennerstrom has experienced AminoActiv's healing properties first-hand.

“When I was trimming trees in the spring, the top of my hand got sore from using the pruning shears,” he said. “AminoActiv relieved the pain.”

Accordingly, both UNMC scientists are excited about the product's introduction to the public. “The applications can be huge,” Robinson said.

Mark Faulkner, president of Vireo Systems Inc., located in Madison, Tenn., oversees AminoActiv's marketing, business development, manufacturing and packaging. He explained why the applications are significant.

“Baby boomers want to remain active, but they experience nagging, chronic pain,” he said.

This can affect personal finances.

“After antibiotics, the second-most-prescribed medications in the U.S. are written for pain. It's a $35 billion industry,” he said. “The key part of AminoActiv is that it costs about $25 — as much as a co-pay.”

The final, perhaps most important, benefit of using AminoActiv?

Because it's natural, there are no problems with addiction or toxicity. That means it relieves pain without the side effects linked to over-the-counter and prescription drugs. For example, sustained use of acetaminophen can cause liver damage, while ibuprofen can similarly affect the kidneys.

“It totally circumvents side effects,” Robinson said.

Although the research team has yet to do major clinical trials, doctors, clinicians and physical therapists are recommending AminoActiv to their patients, who are reporting sustained relief from pain.

How did AminoActiv work for me? I found the texture a bit gritty, and the smell reminded me of maple syrup — neither huge negatives. It also stung a bit, but that was negligible. Most impressively, it relieved my shoulder aches and lower back pain surprisingly quickly, and after a month, I'm not automatically reaching for the ibuprofen bottle.

For me that's the ultimate, definite plus — which means AminoActiv has earned a permanent place in my medicine cabinet.

AminoActiv is produced by Vireo Resources in Plattsmouth, Neb. It retails for about $25 and is available at Kohll's Pharmacies. For more information, visit www.aminoactiv.com.

Kim Carpenter is a freelance writer based in Omaha. She has a doctorate in social history with an emphasis in culinary arts. She is a regular contributor to LiveWell the Magazine.

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