Since this thread is concerned with topical application of a cream, I thought it may be useful for me to mention something that my massage therapist once told me. She said that the amount of pressure used in applying a cream can make a difference in setting off damaged nerves.

In my case, I was having difficulty treating a very sensitive area of my lower back. If I even barely touched it with cream, I would get a muscle spasm that would cause my leg to kick out. My therapist said that I wasn’t applying enough pressure. She said I needed to use a “moderate” amount of pressure to prevent the nerves from reacting, but warned that if it is applied too lightly or too deeply it can cause problems with the nerves.

This is probably pretty basic information, but it did work for me when I applied the cream with just a little more pressure.