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Friday, October 15, 2004The researchers treated 228 men and women with osteoarthritis in at least one knee. They used a topical NSAID solution containing diclofenac sodium. [Voltaren - ed.] Patients using the solution experienced a 45.7 percent reduction in knee pain, a 36.7 percent improvement in physical function and a 35.1 percent reduction in knee stiffness, according to the research team at Arizona Research & Education in Phoenix. The patients also reported a 45 percent reduction in pain while walking. The adverse effects of the solution were mostly limited to minor skin irritation, with 41.5 percent of the patients reporting some sort of skin problem. Dry skin and rash were the most frequent complaints. The abstract is here, but the full paper requires a subscription. It's hard to say how significant the pain and function improvement is, since pain, like depression, is highly subject to the placebo effect. Topical NSAIDs are sometimes used on the eye, but in that case they're delivered directly to the site of inflammation. In the case of arthritis, the inflammation is occurring deep within the joint, not on the skin's surface, which makes you wonder about the mechanism of action - placebo or physiologic? posted by Sydney on 10/15/2004 08:43:00 AM 0 comments 0 Comments: |
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