Diclofenac epolamine topical patch relieves pain associated with ankle sprain

David R. Lionberger, Eric Joussellin, Arturo Lanzarotti, Jillmarie Yanchick, Merrell Magelli

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

15 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: Sports-related injuries, such as sprains and strains, commonly occur during exercise and athletic events. Current therapy includes nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which have a high incidence of upper gastrointestinal side effects. The present study assessed the efficacy and safety of the diclofenac epolamine topical patch (DETP, 1.3%), a topical NSAID for the treatment of acute minor sprains and strains. Methods: This multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical study enrolled adult patients (n = 134) with acute ankle pain (due to a minor sprain) occurring less than 48 hours prior to entering the study. Patients were treated with either the DETP or a placebo topical patch daily for seven days. Pain intensity was evaluated during the first six hours after application of the patch, and on treatment days 1, 2, 3, and 7. Results: Patients treated with the DETP experienced a significantly greater reduction in pain associated with their ankle injury compared with placebo, beginning four hours after the first patch application (P = 0.02). The DETP was well tolerated and was comparable with placebo in terms of safety. Conclusion: Overall, the results of this study demonstrate that the DETP is an effective analgesic for local treatment of pain in mild acute ankle sprain.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)47-53
Number of pages7
JournalJournal of Pain Research
Volume4
DOIs
StatePublished - 2011

Keywords

  • Acute pain
  • Efficacy
  • Soft tissue injury
  • Tolerability
  • Visual analog scale

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine

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