Short answer: Yes — but only if the magnesium actually gets through your skin, and in most products on sale in the UK it does not. Magnesium chloride is a large, water-loving molecule and the outer layer of skin is built to keep exactly that kind of molecule out. Without a permeability carrier, most of what you apply dries on the surface. That single fact explains why one person swears magnesium cream changed their life and the next says it did absolutely nothing.
If you have already bought a magnesium spray, felt nothing but stinging, and written the whole category off — this page is worth ten minutes.
Why magnesium for nerve pain in the first place?
A nerve is not a wire. It is a living cell that holds an electrical charge across its membrane, and it needs that charge to stay stable. Magnesium is one of the minerals that keeps it stable: it sits on the gates that let calcium into the nerve and stops them opening too easily.
When a nerve runs short of magnesium, those gates get twitchy. The nerve starts firing without being provoked. You do not feel "a magnesium deficiency" — you feel burning, tingling, pins and needles, and sudden shooting pain that arrives out of nowhere, often worst when you are sitting still.
That is the logic. It is also why magnesium tends to do more for nerve-type pain than for a pulled muscle or a swollen joint, which are different problems entirely.
So why do so many people say it did nothing?
Because they used a product that never delivered anything.
The outer layer of your skin, the stratum corneum, is a waterproof barrier. Magnesium chloride is hydrophilic and ionised — the exact profile that barrier is designed to block. Applied on its own, the bulk of it sits on top, draws water out of the skin, and leaves the two signatures every magnesium spray user recognises: the sting, and the chalky white film.
People read the sting as "it's working". It is the opposite. It is magnesium sitting on your skin instead of going into it.
What actually changes the outcome: the carrier
A carrier is an ingredient whose job is to temporarily increase skin permeability so the active can pass through. It is the difference between a formula and a mixture.
MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) is the carrier that matters here. It is a small, sulphur-based molecule that crosses the skin barrier easily and softens it as it goes, opening a path for the magnesium travelling with it. In a well-built formula the MSM is not a bonus ingredient on the label — it is the delivery system, and the magnesium is the passenger.
This is the single most useful thing to know when comparing products: magnesium content tells you very little; the carrier tells you almost everything.
Magnesium formats compared
| Format | How it behaves | Verdict for nerve pain |
|---|---|---|
| Oral tablets | Absorbed through the gut and distributed body-wide | Useful for overall levels, but you cannot aim it. Higher doses commonly cause loose stools before they reach the nerve |
| Magnesium oil / spray | Concentrated magnesium chloride in water, no carrier | Stings, leaves a film, poor penetration. The format most responsible for the category's bad reputation |
| Bath flakes | Diluted across the whole body in a tub of water | Relaxing, but far too dilute and unfocused to target a specific nerve |
| Plain magnesium cream | Magnesium in a basic moisturising base | Kinder to the skin than a spray, but the base is there for texture, not delivery |
| Magnesium + MSM cream | Magnesium chloride carried by MSM through the skin barrier | The only format built around the actual problem, which is getting the mineral to the nerve |
How to read a magnesium cream label
- Look for a carrier. MSM near the top of the ingredients list is the signal. No carrier means you are buying a moisturiser with a mineral in it.
- Check the magnesium form. Magnesium chloride is the form used topically. Magnesium sulphate (Epsom salt) is a bath ingredient, not a topical one.
- Be sceptical of a heating or cooling sensation. Menthol and capsaicin create a strong feeling within seconds. That feeling is a distraction placed on top of the pain; it wears off in under an hour and does nothing for the nerve underneath.
- Check the supporting cast. Arnica for the surrounding soft tissue and vitamin B6 for nerve function are sensible additions. A long list of fragrance and colour is not.
- Check the guarantee. Anything working on a nerve takes weeks, not minutes. A 14-day return window is not long enough to judge it, and a brand offering one knows that.
How long before you feel something?
Be realistic, because this is where most people quit too early.
- First few days: often a mild easing of the surface burn. Some people feel nothing at all yet.
- Two to three weeks: the usual point where the night-time flare-ups get shorter and less sharp.
- Around six weeks: where the more meaningful change tends to show up, as levels in the tissue build with consistent daily use.
Applied once when it hurts, then forgotten for four days, it will not do much. Consistency is doing most of the work.
NuraCalm Total Relief was formulated around exactly this: magnesium chloride carried by MSM, with arnica and vitamin B6, no menthol and no capsaicin — and a 90-day money-back guarantee, because six weeks of honest use is the only fair way to judge it.
Frequently asked questions
Does magnesium cream really work for nerve pain?
It can, when the formula includes a carrier that gets the magnesium through the skin barrier. Without one, most of the magnesium never reaches the tissue around the nerve, which is why results between products vary so wildly.
Why does magnesium spray sting?
Concentrated magnesium chloride draws moisture out of the skin surface. The sting is a sign it is sitting on your skin rather than passing through it — not a sign that it is working.
Is magnesium cream better than magnesium tablets?
They do different jobs. Tablets raise levels body-wide but cannot be aimed at a specific area, and high doses commonly cause digestive upset. A topical is applied directly where the pain is.
Can I use magnesium cream every day?
Yes. Topical magnesium is generally well tolerated and daily use is how it is intended to be used. If you have kidney disease or take prescribed medication, check with your GP or pharmacist first.
What is MSM doing in a magnesium cream?
MSM is a permeability carrier. It crosses the skin barrier easily and helps the magnesium travel with it, which is what turns a surface application into an actual delivery.
This article is for general information and is not medical advice. Speak to your GP or pharmacist about persistent or worsening nerve pain, particularly if you are diabetic.