Topical Nonprescription Pain Medications for Adults

This JAMA Patient Page describes the types of topical nonprescription pain medications and tips for using them.

Topical nonprescription pain medications are over-the-counter drugs applied to the skin to treat pain.

Topical pain medications can effectively treat pain caused by several acute and chronic conditions. Because they are applied directly to the skin, topical pain medications are easy to use and less likely to cause side effects or interact with other medications than oral pain medications. Pain relief typically occurs within several days of starting a topical pain medication.