Salonpas Pain Relief Patch 5s review: the one for a whole back

The Salonpas Pain Relief Patch 5s is our Best large patch: a 7cm x 10cm sheet carrying 105mg of methyl salicylate and 31.5mg of l-menthol, enough to cover a lower back in one piece for up to 12 hours.

Why buy the big patch instead of the cheap one?

Because a lower back is not a knee, and covering it with three small patches is worse in every way than covering it with one.

The small Salonpas Medicated Patch is 6.5cm x 4.2cm, about a third of this area. On a shoulder or an elbow that is exactly right. On the broad muscles either side of the spine it means sticking on two or three, each with its own edges to lift, its own smell, and its own moment of peeling off.

This patch does the same job in one piece, and it carries roughly triple the methyl salicylate to match the area. That is the entire argument for it.

How long does one last, and does it stay on?

Up to 12 hours, so one patch covers a work day.

On a back it holds well, because that is a broad flat area with no joint flexing under it. The large sheet is less happy on a knee or an elbow: it wrinkles when the joint bends, and once a corner lifts the rest follows. If your problem is a joint, this is the wrong size of patch.

The methyl salicylate smell is stronger here than on the small version, which follows from the larger dose. It carries through a shirt.

Is the Salonpas Pain Relief Patch 5s sulit?

Around ₱115 as of August 30, 2026. Check the latest price on Shopee.

Five patches works out near ₱23 a patch. That is roughly four times the cost per patch of the 40-pack, and the honest comparison is not quite that harsh, because you would need two or three of the small ones to cover the same area. Call it a real but modest premium for doing the job in one piece.

Where it stops being sulit is daily use. Five patches is under a working week. If a sore lower back is a permanent feature of your life rather than an occasional one, the maths pushes you toward a liniment or a gel for daily use, with these kept for the bad days.

Sold through Watsons’ Shopee Mall store, with the Philippine formulation printed on the pack.

Who the Salonpas Pain Relief Patch 5s suits

Buy this if the sore spot is broad: a lower back, a shoulder blade, a thigh, the kind of ache that a small patch simply does not reach across. It is the right choice for occasional bad days rather than a daily routine, and it is the patch to keep in a bag before a long drive or a heavy day of lifting. If your pain lives in a joint, buy the small 40-patch box instead.

If the Salonpas Pain Relief Patch 5s is not right

For everyday joint aches at a fraction of the cost per patch, the Salonpas Medicated Patch 40s gives you 40 smaller patches with four published actives. If you want an even bigger sheet with a gentler formula that peels off clean, the Tiger Balm Plaster Cool Large is 10cm x 14cm on a hydrogel backing.

See how it ranks against the rest in our best topical pain relievers in the Philippines roundup, or compare patch sizes and formats in our topical pain reliever buying guide.