RESEARCH - Topical NSAIDs may be safe, effective for acute musculoskeletal conditions

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Topical NSAIDs May Be Safe, Effective for Acute Musculoskeletal Conditions

Medscape.com

Laurie Barclay, MD

July 2, 2010 — Topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)

may be safe and effective for acute musculoskeletal conditions in

adults, according to the results of a systematic review reported

online June 16 in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.

" Use of topical NSAIDs to treat acute musculoskeletal conditions is

widely accepted in some parts of the world, but not in others, " write

Massey, from the University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom,

and colleagues. " Their main attraction is their potential to provide

pain relief without associated systemic adverse events. "

The goal of the study was to evaluate the evidence from randomized,

double-blind, controlled trials of the efficacy and safety of

topically applied NSAIDs for relief of acute pain. The investigators

searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, The Cochrane Library, and their own in-house

database to December 2009. To identify unpublished studies, they also

asked other investigators and searched online clinical trial registers

and manufacturers' Web sites.

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Read the entire article here:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/724531

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