Painkiller creams and gels can relieve the suffering of osteoarthritis, but their effect only lasts about two weeks, researchers said Friday.
In an analysis of 13 trials of painkillers known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), scientists at the University of Nottingham in England found that topical solutions were no better than a placebo after 14 days.
Aspirin and ibuprofen are common examples of NSAIDS.
“No evidence supports the long-term use of topical NSAIDs in osteoarthritis,” Weiya Zhang, an epidemiologist and expert on muscle diseases, said in a report published online by the British Medical Journal.
Guidelines in the United States and Europe recommend topical NSAIDs as an effective treatment for the degenerative joint disease, but Zhang and his colleagues said the recommendations needed to be revised.
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and a major cause of disability in elderly people.
Worldwide nearly 10 percent of men and 18 percent of women over 60 years old have symptoms of the illness that can affect the knees, hips, fingers and lower spine region, according to the World Health Organization.
Oral NSAIDs were more effective than the topical creams or gels in head-to-head studies, but they can cause ulcers and dangerous stomach bleeding.
