Analgesia
Study ID	Treatment	Outcome measure	Success	Rescue Medication
Acute
Diebschlag 1987	(1) Salicylate, adrenal extract, and mucopolysaccharide ointment (Mobilat) (2) Placebo ointment	Movement pain on 100 mm VAS at: (a) 8 days (b) 15 days	No dichotomous data (a) Significant difference in favour of (1) (b) Significant difference in favour of (1)	No data
Frahm 1993	(1) Salicylate and mucopolysaccharide cream (Movelat) (2) Placebo cream	Movement pain on 100 mm VAS at: (a) 9 days (b) 11 days	No dichotomous data (a) Significant difference in favour of (1) (b) No significant difference	No data
Ginsberg 1987	(1) Salicylate and capsicum oleoresin ointment (Rado‐Salil) (2) Placebo ointment	Patient global assessment ('excellent' or 'good') at: (a) 3 days (b) 14 days	(a) (1) 5/20 (2) 0/20 (b) (1) 10/20 (2) 2/20	Total number of rescue tablets (250 mg paracetamol) used: (1) 24 (2) 36
Ibanez 1988	(1) Salicylate spray (2) Fepradinol spray active control	"Cure" at 12 days	(1) 23/35 (2) 85/102	No data
Lester 1981	(1) Salicylate, adrenal extract, and mucopolysaccharide gel (Movelat) (2) Placebo gel	Relief of pain by 7 days	(1) 18/20 (2) 13/22	No data
Rothhaar 1982	(1) Salicylate gel (Reparil‐Gel) (2) Placebo gel	Patient global assessment ('very good' or 'good') at 9 days	(1) 37/39 (2) 3/42	No data
Stam 2001	(1) Salicylate, nicotinate, capsicum oleoresin, and histamine gel (Cremor Capsici Compositus FNA) (2) Herbal gel (Spiroflor SRL) active control	80% reduction in pain on 100 mm VAS at 7 days	(1) 41/78 (2) 40/83	Number using rescue medication (paracetamol): (1) 65/82 (2) 56/75
Chronic
Algozzine 1982	(1) Salicylate cream (Myoflex) (2) Placebo cream	Pain relief score at 7 days favours (1) or (2)	No first period data. Combined periods: (1) 10/25 (2) 8/25	No data
Camus 1975	(1) Salicylate and myrtecaine cream (Algesal Suractive) (2) Placebo cream	Improvement in rest pain score at 10 days	(1) 8/10 (2) 3/10	No data
Geller 1980	(1) Salicylate and heparin gel (Dolo‐Menthoneurin) (2) Etofenamate gel active control	Patient global score ('very good' or 'good') after phase 1 at 7 days	First period data (1) 24/25 (2) 8/25	No data
Golden 1978	(1) Salicylate cream (Aspercreme) + placebo tablets (2) Aspirin tablets + placebo cream active control	Patient global assessment of pain relief ('excellent' or 'good') at 7 days	(1) 13/20 (2) 10/20	No data
Lobo 2004	(1) Salicylate cream (Theraflex‐TMJ) (2) Placebo cream	Spontaneous pain VAS (10 cm) at: (a) 15 days (b) 10 days	No dichotomous data (a) Significant difference in favour of (1) (b) No significant difference	No data
Rutner 1995	(1) Salicylate gel (Phardol‐Mono) (2) Placebo gel	Dropout 'pain free' by day 14	(1) 21/54 (2) 18/59	No data
Shackel 1997	(1) Salicylate gel (2) Placebo gel	Patient global assessment ('very good' or 'good') at 28 days	(1) 22/58 (2) 21/56	Number using rescue medication (paracetamol): (1) 43/56 (2) 39/55 Average dose (mg/day): (1) 555 (2) 600
von Bach 1979	(1) Salicylate and nonivamide in heparin and salicylate ointment (Enelbin‐Rheuma) (2) Salicylate in heparin and salicylate ointment active control	Global assessment ('very good' or 'good') at 14 days	(1) 27/50 (2) 10/50	No data
Wanet 1979	(1) Salicylate and myrtecaine cream (Algesal Suractive) (2) Placebo cream	Rest pain score at 15 days	(1) 15/32 (2) 4/24	No data
Zahmatkash 2011	(1) Salicylate ointment (2) Herbal (cinnamon, ginger, mastic, sesame oil) ointment	Reduction in pain intensity (group mean)	14 days (1) 13/100 (2) 13/100 28 days (1) 19/100 (2) 21/100 42 days (1) 22/100 (2) 25/100	No data
VAS: visual analogue scale