Lidocaine Patch Found Effective For Knee Pain

People who suffer from osteoarthritis of the knee may not need to rely on potentially risky cox-2 drugs to alleviate their pain. A simple patch placed on the affected area may provide comparable relief, results of a new study suggest. The study compared the efficacy and safety of Lidoderm, a transdermal patch containing 5 percent lidocaine, with celecoxib, popularly known by the brand name Celebrex. At six weeks, patients using the patch experienced similar relief from pain as those who were taking celecoxib, according to Dr. Alan Kivitz, founder of the Altoona Center for Clinical Research in Duncansville, Pa., and a co-author of the study. That observation could lead to an appealing treatment alternative for millions of Americans who suffer from osteoarthritis of the knee, he said. "For me, the most important thing is to have [treatment] options available," Kivitz said Wednesday during a teleconference sponsored by the American Pain Foundation, a nonprofit advocacy group based in Baltimore. Researchers were to present the findings late Wednesday at the 24th annual scientific meeting of the American Pain Society in Boston. Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc., maker of the Lidoderm patch, funded the study.