Disclaimer: None of the information in this article constitutes medical advice, and is just the opinion of the writer(s). We recommend that patients follow their doctor’s guidance in regard to pain relief.
Kailo is a medicated patch used for pain relief. It’s available over-the-counter (OTC), meaning it does not require a doctor’s prescription. Over one million people have purchased Kailo according to the brand, and it’s marketed as a natural, drug-free option for pain relief.
But is Kailo proven to work in research studies? How can a metal patch relieve pain? Can this product cause side effects? And how do real users rate and describe the effects of Kailo?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we review the clinical study funded by Kailo to give our take on whether or not the patch is likely to be effective for pain relief.
We’ll also explain what Kailo is made of (because this information isn’t very clear from the brand’s website), feature unsponsored customer reviews of the brand, and share demo videos showing how to properly use Kailo.
Is Kailo Proven to Work?
Kailo has been studied in a clinical trial published in the Anaesthesia & Pain Research journal.
Patients experiencing pain used the Kailo patch for 30 days, and reported changes in pain scores.
The average pain score decreased by 61% with use of Kailo patches, and no side effects were reported.
86% of patients using Kailo reported that they were “satisfied” or “extremely satisfied” with the treatment.
While these are favorable results, we consider this study to be poorly designed. It was not double-blinded or placebo-controlled, which may increase the risk of bias.
If one group received unmedicated patches and one group received Kailo patches, these results would be much more impressive in our opinion.
We have also never heard of this journal before, and do not consider it to be reputable in the field of anaesthesiology (one of our Advisors is an anaesthesiologist).
This is legitimate medical research, but we do not consider Kailo to be definitively proven to work until these results are replicated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
We consider Kailo to be potentially effective for pain relief at this stage.
How Does Kailo Work?
Kailo’s website does a poor job of explaining the technical specifications of the device in our opinion.
The brand’s FAQ page states " we believe that the capacitors in the patches interact with the electrical currents in your nerves and influence the signals that are being transmitted," which fails to specifically propose how this process alleviates pain.
The clinical trial cited previously does a better job of describing Kailo’s mechanism of action:
Kailo is made from copper, silver and silicon, and through the use of capacitors (which store electric charges), can emit and absorb electromagnetic signals which may influence pain signaling throughout the body.
It’s concerning to us that this process is described so vaguely in the clinical trial, and on Kailo’s website, and leaves many questions unanswered.
How does Kailo determine what electromagnetic signals to absorb? How does Kailo determine what frequency of electromagnetic signal is optimal to emit? Are these factors different for different patients? Are there long-term risks associated with the use of this type of device?
While some types of electromagnetic signaling are shown in clinical studies to improve human health (see research on red light therapy), the specifics of how Kailo works are poorly described in our opinion.
An interview with Kailo’s founder even states that “it’s all theory right now” when asked how the device works.
This is not a convincing sign that this is a good time to buy this product in our opinion. We've timestamped the video below to start at that quote:
Is Kailo a Scam?
An entertaining and well-researched exposé on Kailo was published by a YouTube creator named “Thunderf00t.” The video has over 700,000 views and is definitely worth a watch for those considering purchasing this device:
Customers Rate Kailo
Amazon is a better resource for unbiased customer reviews than a brand’s website in our opinion.
At the time of updating this article, Kailo's adhesive patches are the brand's most-reviewed product on Amazon, with over 1,200 reviews and an average customer review rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars.
A top positive review from a verified purchaser comes from a user named "anita atwood" who gave the product a 5/5 star rating, and claims to have experienced pain relief:
" Despite all these negative reviews and arguments about research, I bought these anyway. I found almost instant relief. It didn't take 100% of my pain away but I found it took the sharp pain away enough for me to walk around without noticing the usual pain."
A top negative review from a verified purchaser is written by a user named “Heidi Hancock” who gave the product a 1/5 star rating, and suggests the adhesive function is ineffective:
"They are not waterproof, repositionable, sweat proof. These patches are different because they are using something else to make them adhesive."
Kailo currently has an average review rating of 4.1 out of 5 on Facebook.
Kailo currently has an average review rating of 3.6 out of 5 stars on Google.
Kailo currently has an average review rating of 2.56 out of 5 stars on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website.
How is Kailo Applied?
The official Kailo YouTube page has videos indicating how to properly apply the device to different parts of the body.
Here’s their instructional video on using Kailo on the head:
Here’s their instructional video on using Kailo on the lower back:
Here’s their instructional video on using Kailo on the knees:
Our Clean Joint Health Picks
There are natural compounds which have been shown in clinical studies to support optimal joint health and relieve pain.
Cinnamon was shown to reduce inflammatory markers in a 2020 clinical trial. The study authors concluded that “Cinnamon could be regarded as a safe supplement to relieve pain.”
Illuminate Labs Ceylon Cinnamon Extract is our standardized cinnamon supplement, which is third-party tested for purity and potency and costs only $15 at a subscription price.
Collagen is the core structural protein in joints, and has been clinically shown to reduce arthritic pain.
Bulletproof Collagen Powder is our top collagen supplement pick because it only contains one ingredient: collagen peptides sourced from grass-fed animals.
Cannabidiol (CBD) is clinically shown to be effectively absorbed through the skin, and CBD caused "significant improvements in pain" when applied topically in a 2020 clinical trial.
Cornbread CBD Lotion is our top CBD lotion pick, because it also contains menthol, which was shown in a 2022 clinical trial to reduce pain scores.
All of the products recommended in this section are entirely free of ingredients that we consider to be unhealthy or unsafe.
Kailo Pros and Cons
Here are the pros and cons of Kailo pain patches in our opinion:
Pros:
- Unlikely to cause side effects
- Clinically shown to be effective
- May reduce pain significantly
- Mostly positive online customer reviews
- Available OTC
Cons:
- Clinical trial was not placebo-controlled
- Brand does poor job explaining mechanism of action
- Company founder said product's benefits are theoretical
