ReviewMolecules (Basel, Switzerland)2018
Transdermal and Topical Drug Administration in the Treatment of Pain.
Review in Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04245371 (A Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blind, Cross-over Study of Lidocaine Patch 1.8% in Patients With Moderate to Severe Pain From Carpal Tunnel Syndrome), which is not on this map. Cited by 82 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
A Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blind, Cross-over Study of Lidocaine Patch 1.8% in Patients With Moderate to Severe Pain From Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Who cites it
82 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 194 citations in OpenAlex.
- Interaction between purinergic signalling and purinergic modulators with skin wound repair effectors: a systematic review of preclinical in vivo models.Purinergic signalling · 2026Pooled it
- Clinical Practice Guidelines for Topical NSAIDs in the Treatment of Sports Injuries.Journal of evidence-based medicine · 2025Guideline
- Efficacy of topical drug application to manage in-office bleaching sensitivity: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.Clinical oral investigations · 2024Pooled it
- Comparative efficacy of transdermal buprenorphine versus diclofenac in the management of knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial with network pharmacology insights.Inflammopharmacology · 2026Trial
- Investigation of the effects of a new transdermal formulation of systemic diclofenac on the upper gastrointestinal mucosa in patients with low back pain: A comparative study with oral diclofenac.Journal of gastroenterology and hepatology · 2024Trial
- Protective effects of doxepin cream on radiation dermatitis in breast cancer: A single arm double-blind randomized clinical trial.British journal of clinical pharmacology · 2020Trial
- A Topical Botanical Ointment for Self-Reported Hip and/or Knee Pain: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.Journal of evidence-based integrative medicineTrial
- The analgesic effect and mechanism of celastrol in formalin-induced inflammatory pain mouse model.Molecular and cellular biochemistry · 2026Article
- Advances in veterinary drug and vaccine delivery: from conventional delivery methods to innovative transdermal approaches.Drug delivery and translational research · 2026Review
- Development of Silicone Elastomer-Based Composite Films Containing Ibuprofen and Functional Additives.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Article
- Effectiveness and Tolerability of Topical Amitriptyline 10% Plus Lidocaine 2% Gel in Adults With Post-Traumatic Trigeminal Neuropathic Pain: A Real-World Evidence Study.Journal of oral rehabilitation · 2026Observational
- The potential of calcitriol gel in accelerating the healing of traumatic oral ulcers.Journal of Taibah University Medical Sciences · 2026Article
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- Article
- Topical Pain Management: An Updated Review of Current Evidence and Emerging Strategies.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Review
- Development and Characterization of Collagen-Methylcellulose Sponge-like Matrices for Indomethacin Release in Wound Dressing Applications.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Acute pain management in older adults presenting to the emergency department: a clinical review.Singapore medical journal · 2026Review
- Efficacy and Predictive Factors of Systemically Acting Diclofenac Sodium Patch for Chronic Low Back Pain: A Retrospective Observational Study.Spine surgery and related research · 2026Article
- Inhalation: A Smart Strategy and Increasing Potential for Drug Delivery.Drug design, development and therapy · 2026Review
- Recent progress of NIR light-controlled microneedles and therapeutic applications: A review study.Journal of materials science. Materials in medicine · 2025Review
22 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The comprehensive treatment of pain is multidimodal, with pharmacotherapy playing a key role. An effective therapy for pain depends on the intensity and type of pain, the patients' age, comorbidities, and appropriate choice of analgesic, its dose and route of administration. This review is aimed at presenting current knowledge on analgesics administered by transdermal and topical routes for physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other health care professionals dealing with patients suffering from pain. Analgesics administered transdermally or topically act through different mechanisms. Opioids administered transdermally are absorbed into vessels located in subcutaneous tissue and, subsequently, are conveyed in the blood to opioid receptors localized in the central and peripheral nervous system. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) applied topically render analgesia mainly through a high concentration in the structures of the joint and a provision of local anti-inflammatory effects. Topically administered drugs such as lidocaine and capsaicin in patches, capsaicin in cream, EMLA cream, and creams containing antidepressants (i.e., doxepin, amitriptyline) act mainly locally in tissues through receptors and/or ion channels. Transdermal and topical routes offer some advantages over systemic analgesic administration. Analgesics administered topically have a much better profile for adverse effects as they relieve local pain with minimal systemic effects. The transdermal route apart from the above-mentioned advantages and provision of long period of analgesia may be more convenient, especially for patients who are unable to take drugs orally. Topically and transdermally administered opioids are characterised by a lower risk of addiction compared to oral and parenteral routes.
Indexed as
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.