Introduction

Millions of individuals across the world suffer from chronic pain. Chronic pain can be a burden for both patients and their healthcare providers. Optimal pain management is essential for patients to lead productive, enabling lifestyles. Pain can arise due to a variety of different conditions, and as a result, healthcare providers have to use many different approaches for successful treatment.

How can compounds help?

Many medications that are traditionally used to manage symptoms of chronic pain can cause undesirable side effects. Opioid-related medications such as codeine, hydrocodone or oxycodone can be very intolerable in the gastrointestinal system. Treating pain topically is an alternative option to avoid these undesirable side effects. Many pharmacies are able to compound topical preparations that contain various medications to help control symptoms of pain. Because these formulations are applied topically, just enough of the medication is absorbed through the skin to help relieve symptoms at the site of the pain.