Withdrawals and exclusions			Adverse events
Study ID	Treatment	All withdrawals and exclusions	Lack of efficacy	Adverse events	All adverse events	Local adverse events
Algozzine 1982	(1) Salicylate cream (Myoflex) (2) Placebo cream	1/26 unrelated to study	(1) 0/25 (2) 0/25	(1) 0/25 (2) 0/25	(1) 0/25 (2) 0/25	(1) 0/25 (1) 0/25
Camus 1975	(1) Salicylate and myrtecaine cream (Algesal Suractive) (2) Placebo cream	No data	No data	No data	No data	No data
Diebschlag 1987	(1) Salicylate, adrenal extract, and mucopolysaccharide ointment (Mobilat) (2) Placebo ointment	No data	No data	(1) 0/40 (2) 0/40	(1) 0/40 (2) 0/40	(1) 0/40 (2) 0/40
Frahm 1993	(1) Salicylate and mucopolysaccharide cream (Movelat) (2) Placebo cream	7/16 violation of protocol	(1) 0/78 (2) 0/78	(1) 0/78 (2) 0/78	(1) 0/78 (2) 1/78	(1) 0/78 (2) 1/78
Geller 1980	(1) Salicylate and heparin gel (Dolo‐Menthoneurin) (2) Etofenamate gel active control	Phase 1: (1) 0/25 (2) 0/25	Phase 1: (1) 0/25 (2) 0/25	Phase 1: (1) 0/25 (2) 0/25 Phase 2: (1) 0/25 (2) 0/25	Phases 1 and 2 combined: (1) 2/50 (2) 2/50	Phases 1 and 2 combined: (1) 2/50 (2) 2/50
Ginsberg 1987	(1) Salicylate and capsicum oleoresin ointment (Rado‐Salil) (2) Placebo ointment	No data	No data	No data	(1) 4/20 (2) 1/20	(1) 4/20 (2) 1/20
Golden 1978	(1) Salicylate cream (Aspercreme) + placebo tablets (2) Aspirin tablets + placebo cream active control	(1) 1/20 (2) 8/20	(1) 1/20 (2) 2/20	(1) 0/20 (2) 6/20	(1) 3/20 (2) 12/20	(1) 0/20 (2) 0/20
Ibanez 1988	(1) Salicylate spray (2) Fepradinol spray active control	No data	No data	(1) 0/35 (2) 0/102	(1) 0/35 (2) 0/102	(1) 0/35 (2) 0/102
Lester 1981	(1) Salicylate, adrenal extract, and mucopolysaccharide gel (Movelat) (2) Placebo gel	8/50 4 excluded due to fractures, 4 lost to follow‐up	No data	No data	(1) 0/20 (2) 2/22	(1) 0/20 (2) 2/22
Lobo 2004	(1) Salicylate cream (Theraflex‐TMJ) (2) Placebo cream	No data	No data	No data	(1) 2/26 (2) 2/26	(1) 2/26 (2) 2/26
Rothhaar 1982	(1) Salicylate gel (Reparil‐Gel) (2) Placebo gel	(1) 13/50 11 with no data, rest lack of efficacy (2) 24/50 8 with no data, rest lack of efficacy	(1) 2/39 (2) 16/42	(1) 0/39 (2) 0/42	(1) 0/39 (2) 0/42	(1) 0/39 (2) 0/42
Rutner 1995	(1) Salicylate gel (Phardol‐Mono) (2) Placebo gel	7/136 lost to follow‐up	No data	No data	(1) 1/54 unrelated disc prolapse (2) 0/59	(1) 0/54 (2) 0/59
Shackel 1997	(1) Salicylate gel (2) Placebo gel	(1) 15/58 14 withdrew during trial, 1 lost to follow‐up (2) 10/58 2 withdrew before treatment, 7 withdrew during trial, 1 lost to follow‐up	(1) 3/58 (2) 2/56	(1) 10/58 (2) 1/56	(1) 48/58 (2) 29/56	Total number of adverse events: (1) 80 (2) 27
Stam 2001	(1) Salicylate, nicotinate, capsicum oleoresin, and histamine gel (Cremor Capsici Compositus FNA) (2) Herbal gel (Spiroflor SRL) active control	(1) 4/78 lost to follow‐up (2) 2/83 1 death, 1 lost to follow‐up	No data	(1) 8/74 (2) 1/82 unrelated death	(1) 19/74 (2) 10/82	(1) 18/74 (2) 3/81
von Bach 1979	(1) Salicylate and nonivamide in heparin and salicylate ointment (Enelbin‐Rheuma) (2) Salicylate in heparin and salicylate ointment active control	(1) 0/50 (2) 2/50	(1) 1/50 (2) 0/50	(1) 0/50 (2) 2/50	(1) 0/50 (2) 2/50	(1) 0/50 (2) 2/50
Wanet 1979	(1) Salicylate and myrtecaine cream (Algesal Suractive) (2) Placebo cream	No data	No data	No data	No data	No data
Zahmatkash 2011	(1) Salicylate ointment (2) Herbal (cinnamon, ginger, mastic, sesame oil) ointment	(1) 3/46 (2) 4/46 All lost to follow‐up	No data	No data	No data	No data