The most common varieties are creams or gels that you rub onto the skin over your painful joints. Some come in a spray or a patch that sticks to your skin. Because the ingredients are absorbed through the skin, most topical pain medications are best used on joints that are close to the skin's surface, such as the joints in your hands and knees. Opinions differ on the effectiveness of over-the-counter topical pain medications. While many people say these products help relieve their arthritis pain, scientific research reveals only modest benefits.
Some products work only slightly or no better than a placebo in relieving arthritis pain. Capsaicin might be more effective when used with other treatments, such as pills containing nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs.
Application of capsaicin creams can make your skin burn or sting, but this discomfort generally lessens within a few weeks of daily use. Wash your hands thoroughly after each application and avoid touching your eyes and mucous membranes. You may need to wear latex gloves when applying the cream.
If you are allergic to aspirin or are taking blood thinners, check with your doctor before using topical medications that contain salicylates. Also, using too much can be toxic. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration has approved several topical products Voltaren, Solaraze, others that contain the prescription NSAID diclofenac for the treatment of osteoarthritis in joints close to the skin's surface, such as the hands and knees.
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They do very little to actually decrease the inflammation, but are often effective pain relievers or at least pain distracters. It is generally safe to take ibuprofen Advil or acetaminophen Tylenol along with using these products.
Recently, several new types of prescription-strength topical medications for pain have been developed. One topical medication available by prescription is the fentanyl transdermal Duragesic patch, which delivers the potent opioid through the skin for heavy-duty pain relief. The active ingredient diclofenac is available in different forms including a gel Voltaren , a patch Flector , and a topical solution Pennsaid.
Busy people might prefer a patch to a gel or a cream that needs to be applied multiple times a day. Others may have problems with patches causing a rash from the adhesive or not staying attached to certain parts of the body, such as joints and knees; in these cases, a cream or gel makes more sense. Despite being applied to the skin, topical NSAIDs do enter the bloodstream and can cause severe or even potentially life-threatening allergic reactions , so anyone allergic to aspirin or to other forms of NSAIDs should avoid using these topical forms as well.
Rashes or contact dermatitis can also be a side effect. The risk of gastrointestinal GI bleeding is another possibility. Strains and sprains responded to topicals like a diclofenac emulgel, ketoprofen gel, and piroxicam gel. A transdermal analgesic patch is also available over-the-counter. The patches deliver a topical analgesic in a controlled manner over a period of time. However, the disadvantage is that local skin irritation or sensitization may develop. The variety of products in various forms contain active ingredients that have proven so far to be the most effective.
They include lidocaine, methyl salicylate, capsaicin, and menthol. Topical pain gels and creams work best on acute localized pain rather than chronic pain.
They are also most effective for mild to moderate pain. Typically, the topical painkiller is used for conditions like the following. The application of the topical cream depends on where the pain is localized. For example, a topical headache treatment with a capsaicin cream would require dabbing a small amount in the nostrils. A cream for fibromyalgia pain is applied to the area where the pain is originating.
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