Newtons' Nettle cream contains 10% Urtica dioica extract in a vegetable sorbolene cream base. The hairs, or spines, of the stinging nettle are normally very painful to the touch. When they come into contact with a painful area of the body, however, they can actually decrease the original pain. Scientists think nettle does this by reducing levels of inflammatory chemicals in the body, and by interfering with the way the body transmits pain signals. Topical nettle applications, such as creams, are often used for joint pain relief and for healing sprains and strains, tendonitis, and insect bites.