Diclofenac for Severe Pain Management

Efficacy and Safety

Topical diclofenac has shown significant benefit over placebo for pain relief, with particular effectiveness in those with severe knee osteoarthritis 1, 2
For patients with increased risk of gastrointestinal complications, topical diclofenac may be preferred as it has a good safety record with minimal systemic absorption 1, 2, 3
In elderly patients (≥75 years) and those with increased risk of renal adverse events, topical NSAIDs are preferred over oral NSAIDs 3

For severe acute musculoskeletal pain, diclofenac shows superior results compared to other NSAIDs like piroxicam and ibuprofen for reducing pain during motion 3
When topical application is preferred, diclofenac gel has shown equal efficacy to other topical NSAIDs and is particularly effective for localized severe pain 1, 2, 3