title: Topical agents for the management of musculoskeletal pain.
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.
authors.affiliation: Chronic 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
authors.forename: Steven P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Stanos
mesh_terms: D000287:Administration, Topical; D000700:Analgesics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics