News & Studies

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Topical Ibuprofen May Help Older Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis

In older patients with knee osteoarthritis, treatment with either oral or topical ibuprofen had an equal effect on knee pain after 1 year.

Study Finds Topical Ibuprofen as Effective as Tablets for Pain

Post 50 and got a squeaky knee? Grab that tube…new research published by the UK-based National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) program has found that topical ibuprofen creams are as effective as tablets for the treatment of chronic knee pain in older people. While both topical and oral ibuprofen are used to treat knee pain, as indicated in the report, ibuprofen is associated with gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and respiratory adverse effects, which are a particular risk for older people. The hope is that topical treatments will produce fewer side effects and thus could be a good alternative treatment for those in their older years.

Professor Martin Underwood of the University of Warwick led a team of researchers from Queen Mary University of London in a study of 585 people aged 50 or over from 26 general practices across the UK. The goal was to compare the clinical and cost-effectiveness of oral with topical ibuprofen for the treatment of chronic knee pain. They also looked at patients’ preferences and their attitudes towards the adverse side effects associated with the treatments, as this can influence perception on the effectiveness of the medication.

The results showed that topical ibuprofen has an equivalent effect to oral ibuprofen on chronic knee pain in older people, and that those treated with oral preparations had more minor adverse effects such as indigestion, increased blood pressure, or worsening asthma. However, participants with more severe widespread pain preferred oral rather than topical medication, as they believed it might help other areas of pain.

“Chronic knee pain is a common problem in older people and until now there has been little evidence to suggest which form of medication, either topical or oral is the most effective," said Professor Underwood in the news release. “The results of our research suggest that advising older people with chronic knee pain to use topical rather than oral ibuprofen could be appropriate, although for those who would prefer oral preparations this is still a reasonable treatment option. These results will help GPs and their patients decide on whether topical or oral ibuprofen is the best choice for them.”