Rubefacient Gels and Creams - Not Optimal for Osteoarthritis

Sufficient evidence is lacking to support the use of rubefacient gels and creams to treat osteoarthritis pain. "Rubefacients" cause irritation and reddening of the skin and are contained in many topical products classified as counterirritants. They are supposed to work by offsetting localized pain through local skin irritation.

According to a systematic review by Cochrane Researchers, that was published July 9, 2009, the rubefacient compounds in many topical products are salicylates. Though salicylates are related to aspirin, they don't necessarily work the same when applied to the skin. The review analyzed 16 trials for acute and chronic pain -- altogether involving 1,276 people. For chronic pain, like osteoarthritis, one in 6 patients benefited substantially from using rubs compared to 1 in 3 using topical NSAIDs.

Researchers concluded that larger, high quality studies are needed, including other types of analgesic creams. This particular review only focused on salicylates. For other types of cream, there is evidence of effectiveness. Those will be presented in future Cochrane Reviews.

Related Resources:

• Topical Creams for Arthritis Pain Relief
• Top 7 Arthritis Cream Products
• Topical Salicylates for Arthritis
• Topical Medications for Arthritis

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