Open Access

Topical treatments for diabetic neuropathic pain (Review)

  • Authors:
    • Xi‑Ding Yang
    • Ping‑Fei Fang
    • Da‑Xiong Xiang
    • Yong‑Yu Yang
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: January 15, 2019     https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2019.7173
  • Pages: 1963-1976
  • Copyright: © Yang et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

Diabetic neuropathic pain (DNP) has a huge impact on quality of life and can be difficult to treat. Oral treatment is the most frequently used method for DNP, but its use is often limited by systemic side effects. Topical use of drugs as an alternative option for DNP treatment is currently gaining interest. In the present review, a summary is provided of the available agents for topical use in patients with DNP, including lidocaine plasters or patches, capsaicin cream, gel or patches, amitriptyline cream, clonidine gel, ketamine cream, extracts from medicinal plants including nutmeg extracts and Citrullus colocynthis extract oil, and certain compounded topical analgesics. Furthermore, the potential efficacy of these treatments is addressed according to the available clinical research literature. It has been indicated that these topical drugs have the potential to be valuable additional options for the management of DNP, with adequate safety and continuous long‑term treatment efficacy. Compounded topical agents are also effective and safe for patients with DNP and could be another area worthy of further investigation based on the strategy of using low‑dose, complementary therapies for DNP. The findings indicate that developing topical drugs acting on different targets in the process of DNP is a valuable area of future research.
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March-2019
Volume 17 Issue 3

Print ISSN: 1792-0981
Online ISSN:1792-1015

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Copy and paste a formatted citation
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Spandidos Publications style
Yang XD, Fang PF, Xiang DX and Yang YY: Topical treatments for diabetic neuropathic pain (Review). Exp Ther Med 17: 1963-1976, 2019.
APA
Yang, X., Fang, P., Xiang, D., & Yang, Y. (2019). Topical treatments for diabetic neuropathic pain (Review). Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine, 17, 1963-1976. https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2019.7173
MLA
Yang, X., Fang, P., Xiang, D., Yang, Y."Topical treatments for diabetic neuropathic pain (Review)". Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine 17.3 (2019): 1963-1976.
Chicago
Yang, X., Fang, P., Xiang, D., Yang, Y."Topical treatments for diabetic neuropathic pain (Review)". Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine 17, no. 3 (2019): 1963-1976. https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2019.7173