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Published on: March 24, 2023
Topical agents for the management of musculoskeletal pain
1Chronic Pain Care Center, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, and Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60610, USA. sstanos@ric.org
Abstract:
The recent recognition of the magnitude of cardiovascular risk of both nonselective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and COX-2 selective inhibitors, in addition to the persistent concerns about the use of opioids, has brought increased attention to nonsystemic, topical analgesics. These agents have a favorable safety profile and there is increasing evidence indicating their efficacy for a variety of pain disorders. The use of topical analgesics in the treatment of the most prevalent musculoskeletal pain syndromes is described, with a focus on mechanisms for drug delivery and clinical trials data.
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