BMJ  2004;328 (24 April), doi:10.1136/bmj.328.7446.0-d

... and salicylate works better in acute pain

Topical rubefacients containing salicylate may be efficacious in acute pain, but less so in chronic arthritic and rheumatic pain. Mason and colleagues (p 995) analysed available data from randomised placebo controlled trials including 182 patients with acute pain and 429 patients with chronic pain. The trials suggest that rubefacients containing salicylates work better than placebo, but the information available is limited and of poor quality. Analgesic creams and ointments may be useful for treating some acute and chronic pain, comments Tramèr (p 998), but none are universally efficacious.

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