Patch for back pain is a transdermal agent used in the treatment of back pain of various etiologies and genesis. The dosage form is characterized by a gradual release of active ingredients, which provides a long-term therapeutic effect. The active ingredients of all patches with analgesic properties penetrate into the systemic blood circulation in low concentrations, so the list of contraindications for the transdermal drug is significantly shorter than for drugs for oral and parenteral administration. The causes of back pain are often pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract and the genitourinary system, so consultation and medical examination are necessary.
Classification of transdermal products
Dorsalgia (back pain) develops as a result of functionally reversible blockage of the intervertebral joints. Pathological conditions often precede spondyloarthrosis or osteochondrosis of the lumbar region. Blockage often occurs as a result of increased static or dynamic loads, antiphysiological postures and microtraumas. Neuropathologists and rheumatologists warn of the need for complete treatment of dorsalgia, as tissue damage in one area of the spine will lead to functional changes in adjacent areas. Gradually, compensatory hypermobility will form, reducing a person's quality of life.
Back pain occurs in 76% of the population. Intense discomfort is diagnosed in 7% of cases. In more than 9% of people, dorsalgia caused disability.
In the treatment of pathologies of the musculoskeletal systemPatches are used to minimize pain, relieve inflammation and swelling. Clinical studies have proven the high effectiveness of transdermal agents for local use, which have an analgesic effect. Therapeutic patches for back pain are classified as follows:
| Set of patches | Characteristics |
|---|---|
| Warm up | The active ingredients of external preparations are extracts of chili pepper or mustard seeds. The mechanism of action of the stains is to improve blood circulation in damaged tissues and accelerate their regeneration. |
| Heat reflective | The patch contains nanoparticles of rare earth metals, which have the ability to increase body temperature in areas of inflammation using the body's resources. |
| Anti-inflammatory | The active ingredients of transdermal drugs are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. This set of patches is effective in treating back pain of any location |
| Phytoplastics | Chinese manufacturers supply topical products containing herbal extracts, essential oils and other natural ingredients. Mortars are used not only for therapy, but also for the prevention of pathologies of the lumbar spine |
In medical practice, pain lasting 1-1. 5 months is considered acute and pain lasting 12 weeks is considered chronic. The prescription of patches with an analgesic effect is practiced to eliminate discomfort at any stage of the pathology.
Relatively recently, transdermal products with chondroprotectors appeared on pharmacy shelves. They contain chondroitin, glucosamine and sometimes hyaluronic acid with B vitamins that can improve innervation. These biologically active substances are structural units of cartilage, bones and joint tissues of the musculoskeletal system.Such patches are rarely included in the therapeutic regimens of patients with lumbosacral osteochondrosis or radiculitisdue to the low effectiveness of the rapid elimination of pain of any intensity. The main task of chondroprotective patches is to restore tissues affected by inflammation, which can last several months and sometimes years. Many traumatologists and neurologists are skeptical about this type of drugs for local use due to the lack of evidence base for their therapeutic effectiveness.
Dorsalgia occupies one of the first places in the structure of people seeking medical help. According to the results of epidemiological studies conducted in the main clinics of the country, out of 1300 patients, in 24. 9% the main cause of complaints was pain in the lumbosacral region.
Red pepper extract heating patch
Pepper for back pain is the most popular transdermal drug for the treatment of back pain of any severity. The active ingredients are extracts of red chili pepper and belladonna, dimethyl sulfoxide, eucalyptus essential oil. Thanks to lanolin (animal wax obtained by boiling sheep's wool) and pine rosin, the active ingredients are easily absorbed by the skin and penetrate the inflammatory areas. The following therapeutic actions are characteristic of the pepper patch:
- pain relievers;
- distracting;
- irritating at the local level.
Pepper extract has the ability to expand the blood vessels located in the area of pain. The analgesic effect is also manifested in a decrease in muscle tone and improvement of tissue trophism. Belladonna extract (belladonna) is characterized by a pronounced antispasmodic effect, which is provided by the alkaloid atropine, which is part of the plant. Manufacturers have added dimethyl sulfoxide to the patch to relieve inflammatory processes, a frequent companion of back pain. The organic compound deactivates hydroxyl radicals and accelerates metabolic processes in the areas of pathology.
For people with sensitive skin, using a transdermal product will cause severe burning, itching and blockage of blood vessels located at the application site. If any of the listed side effects occur, wipe the affected area of the body with a cotton pad soaked in sunflower oil.
Pepper patch is not used in the treatment of patients under 14 years of age, pregnant or lactating women. Absolute contraindications are varicose veins and damaged skin integrity.
To eliminate peripheral neuropathic pain that occurs when the peripheral nervous system is damaged (from the roots to the nerve endings), a heating pad with a high capsaicin content is used. This transdermal product is not intended for home use, as certain conditions must be met during its application.
Capsaicin is a highly selective vanilloid receptor agonist whose transient receptor potential belongs to type 1. Immediately after local application of the patch, skin pain receptors expressing TRPV1 are activated. The patient feels a burning sensation and redness appears in the adhesive area caused by the release of vasoactive neuropeptides. The external drug is characterized by the following pharmacodynamic effects:
- Capsaicin significantly reduces the sensitivity of skin pain receptors to mediators. But when exposed to mechanical and vibrational stimuli, a person's ability to experience pain remains unchanged;
- changes in skin pain receptors under the active influence of capsaicin are reversible, which happens after some time. Response to painful stimuli returns after 2-4 weeks.
The patch is characterized by slow transepidermal and transdermal absorption. One hour after patching, only 1% of the active ingredient penetrates the damaged tissue.
The area of application of the external medicine is determined by the attending physician, and the procedure is performed by medical personnel. The patient's skin is first treated with a product with pronounced anesthetic activity to reduce the intensity of the discomfort. The patch is applied using gloves and safety glasses. Such precautions are necessary to prevent redness of the epidermis and irritation of the mucous membranes.
Heat reflective patches
In the treatment of lumbar osteochondrosis, intervertebral hernia, radiculitis, a piece of nanopluder for back and back pain has proven itself well. The composition of the transdermal product is represented by a fine mixture obtained by processing rare earth materials. A nanopowder with the ability to produce infrared radiation is applied to a hypoallergenic polymer base.
The duration of exposure to the patch is 12 hours. The current application below can only be used after 6 hours.
The mechanism of pharmacological action of the drug lies in the combined effect of infrared radiation and the magnetic field formed by rare earth materials.. The temperature in the inflammatory focus increases, which leads to the improvement of microcirculation. Biologically active and nutrients begin to flow into damaged tissues, causing regenerative processes. This leads to multifaceted therapeutic effects, among which the following prevail:
- improvement of local lymph and blood circulation;
- prevention of stagnation;
- normalization of venous flow;
- relief of the inflammatory process;
- reducing the severity of pain;
- acceleration of metabolic processes;
- relaxation of spasmodic muscles.
The patch exhibits analgesic, anti-inflammatory and anti-edematous activity. Under the influence of infrared rays, the striated skeletal muscles relax and the optimal transmission of nerve impulses in the central nervous system is restored. The use of a transdermal drug for 5-7 weeks helps to increase the functional activity of the musculoskeletal system and normalize the range of motion. If the cause of dorsalgia is a fall or a severe bruise, then the use of the patch will relieve not only pain, but also extensive hematomas by improving microcirculation in the damaged tissues.
A Polish manufacturer produces a heating and cooling patch. The drug does not contain non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.The active ingredient in the patch is iron powder.Activated carbon acts as a catalyst for biochemical reactions.
The interaction of enterosorbent and iron powder leads to an increase in temperature in the inflammatory focus to 45-50 °C. The production of heat by the body occurs through the oxidation of alkaline earth metals, the basis of iron dust.
Deep warming of spasm muscles helps increase blood supply to damaged tissues and reduce skeletal muscle tone. The heating effect lasts for 12 hours, then the patch should be removed and any moisturizer should be wiped on the application area. To prevent skin burns, the treatment procedure can be performed no more than 3 times every 7 days.. The lack of components in the patch that are absorbed into the systemic circulation ensures a small number of side effects. The transdermal agent is not prescribed to patients during pregnancy, lactation and menstruation. An absolute contraindication is the presence of cracks, wounds or scratches on the skin. When the patch is applied to areas of the body with blood vessels located close to the surface of the skin (for example, the groin area), the likelihood of burning and irritation increases significantly.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory patches
Asked by patients which patch for back pain is best, neurologists and rheumatologists give a clear answer - a transdermal agent with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. NSAIDs reduce the severity of clinical manifestations and eliminate the pathology that provoked them by blocking the cyclooxygenase enzyme. This leads to a decrease in the production of the main mediators of pain and inflammation, prostaglandins. Most often, in the treatment of radiculitis and lumbar osteochondrosis, a patch with an active ingredient from the group of phenylacetic acid derivatives is used. The external agent also includes levomenthol, which has the following effects:
- local irritant;
- pain relievers;
- weak antiseptic.
The amount of phenylacetic acid derivative released from the patch during the day corresponds to the volume that was absorbed by a similar dose of 1% gel. The transdermal product has many advantages: comfort and low frequency of use, no greasy marks on clothes and bedding after use.
About 5-6% of the phenylacetic acid derivative is able to penetrate into the bloodstream, but this amount is not enough to develop significant systemic side effects. T1/2 of inactive metabolites of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - within 1-3 hours. After glucuronidation in hepatocytes, the phenylacetic acid derivative is mainly evacuated from the urinary system (65-70%), and the rest is excreted in the feces. 1% of the active ingredient leaves the body unmetabolized.
Relatively recently, a patch from a Korean manufacturer appeared on the shelves of pharmacies, the active ingredient of which is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug from the group of propionic acid derivatives. Its analgesic activity is also based on blocking prostaglandin synthesis by inhibiting cyclooxygenase.
The undoubted advantage of the propionic acid derivative is the possibility of use in the treatment of patients with a history of chronic kidney and liver failure. Regardless of the stage of the pathology, the metabolism of NSAIDs in liver cells does not change, which explains its lack of accumulation.
5-8 hours after patch attachment, its biological concentration in blood serum reaches 0. 08-0. 15 μg/ml. The propionic acid derivative is metabolized by hepatocytes during the glucuronidation reaction, and the conjugates are excreted from the human body mainly in the urine.
The transdermal drug is used as a symptomatic agent in the treatment of neuralgia, lumbago, osteochondrosis and radiculitis in patients over 15 years of age. The external agent has analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity and effectively relieves swelling. To increase effectiveness, the note recommends sticking the patch 2 times a day on painful areas of the body. The duration of the therapeutic course depends on the severity of the diagnosed disease, but it should not exceed 6 days.
Chinese patch for pain relief
Chinese patch for osteochondrosis is a transdermal product that contains extracts of medicinal plants and biologically active substances that have chondroprotective properties. After sticking the transdermal drug to the area of pain and inflammation, the acupuncture points located on the spine are activated. The result of this effect is the improvement of blood circulation, the distribution of nutrients and biologically active substances in damaged tissues and the acceleration of metabolic processes.
There is not a wide range of Chinese plasters for the joints and spine on the shelves of pharmacies, and doctors rarely include them in the therapeutic regimens of patients. Manufacturers do not conduct clinical trials, the results of which would create an evidence base for the therapeutic effectiveness of transdermal drugs.
To reduce the severity of pain, to relieve inflammation and swelling, the following Chinese patches are used:
- An external remedy containing scorpion powder, bee venom, myrrh, cinnamon, angelica, borneol and about 30 other ingredients;
- A patch containing 88 biologically active substances, including plant origin: angelica, licorice root and licorice, extract of multifloral Sichuan pepper and buffalo horn, myrrh, turmeric, orange peel, powder that produces infrared radiation andothers;
- Transdermal agent, which includes extracts of saffron, musk, ginger, menthol, myrrh, peach and angelica, methyl ester of salicylic acid, which belongs to the group of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
- A preparation containing extracts of aconite, belladonna, cinnamon, parsley, ginger, chilibuha seeds, myrrh and pine resins, clove bark extract and galangal root.
All herbal components of Chinese patches have a cumulative effect, so the analgesic effect occurs after a few hours and sometimes after days. Before using them, it should be borne in mind that the composition contains many biologically active substances that can provoke a severe allergic reaction. Chinese patches are not intended for the treatment of children, pregnant or lactating women.