The Clinical journal of pain
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
The lidocaine patch 5% effectively treats all neuropathic pain qualities: results of a randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled, 3-week efficacy study with use of the neuropathic pain scale.
Several controlled clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy and safety of the lidocaine patch 5% (LP) for the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). ⋯ This study demonstrates that LP reduces the intensity of all common neuropathic pain qualities and thus may be of potential benefit for nonallodynic neuropathic pain states. Furthermore, these findings suggest that peripheral mechanisms may play a role in the pathophysiological development of pain qualities that heretofore have been assumed not to involve peripheral mechanisms, such as "dull," "deep," "sharp," and "burning" pains.