What is the current clinical evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of the topical 5% lidocaine medicated plaster for localized neuropathic pain (LNP)?
Topical Lidocaine, a randomized trial (J Pain Res 2016, PMID 26929664) — the 5% lidocaine medicated plaster is efficacious and safe for LNP, offering particular clinical benefit for elderly and/or medically compromised patients due to its low incidence of adverse events, although further well-controlled studies are needed.
Source: J Pain Res 2016, PMID 26929664 ↗ · Research map · How Magellan grades evidence · evidence confidence: high
J Pain Res · 2016 · PMID 26929664 · DOI 10.2147/JPR.S99231
The 5% lidocaine medicated plaster is an effective and safe first-line treatment for localized neuropathic pain, especially beneficial for vulnerable patients.
The question
What is the current clinical evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of the topical 5% lidocaine medicated plaster for localized neuropathic pain (LNP)?
What they tested
The review aims to provide an updated overview of the clinical evidence for the 5% lidocaine medicated plaster in treating LNP.
How they did it
This review synthesized clinical evidence from randomized, controlled, and open-label clinical studies, real-life daily clinical practice, and case series.
What they found
The 5% lidocaine medicated plaster effectively relieves pain in postherpetic neuralgia. A large open-label controlled study indicated it is as effective as systemic pregabalin in postherpetic neuralgia and painful diabetic polyneuropathy, with better tolerability. Patients using the plaster synchronously experienced improved analgesia and fewer side effects. The plaster provides continued benefit for up to 7 years and is effective in other LNP conditions. Minor application-site reactions are common, with minimal risk of systemic adverse events or drug-drug interactions.
What it means
The 5% lidocaine medicated plaster is efficacious and safe for LNP, offering particular clinical benefit for elderly and/or medically compromised patients due to its low incidence of adverse events, although further well-controlled studies are needed.
Limitations
The review acknowledges that further well-controlled studies are warranted despite the current evidence.
The paper at a glance
| Title | The topical 5% lidocaine medicated plaster in localized neuropathic pain: a reappraisal of the clinical evidence |
|---|---|
| Journal | J Pain Res |
| Year | 2016 |
| PMID | 26929664 ↗ |
| DOI | 10.2147/JPR.S99231 ↗ |
| Topic | Pain, nerves & musculoskeletal medicine |
Read the source: PubMed record (authors, abstract, full citation) ↗ · Publisher via doi.org ↗
Where Magellan uses this paper
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Topical Lidocaine
The best-supported use of topical lidocaine is localized neuropathic pain, especially postherpetic neuralgia, where guidelines and reviews position the 5% medicated plaster as a first- or second-line option that appears comparable to systemic pregabalin with far fewer systemic side effects, owing to its low…
Lidocaine Pain Relief Patch
Localized and nerve-related (neuropathic) pain becomes more common with age and is tightly linked to poor sleep, inactivity and stress — all drivers of faster biological aging. A topical sodium-channel blocker can quiet that pain with minimal absorption into the bloodstream.
Lidocaine is a local anesthetic of the amino-amide class that works by blocking voltage-gated sodium…
Research describes the compound or intervention studied. It is not a claim about any specific product.
Molecules & mechanisms in this paper
Each of these is named in the paper’s own words above. Open the monograph for the full mechanism and its other citations.
Cite this page
These citations point at this summary. To cite the original paper with its full author list, use the PubMed record or doi.org.
Magellan Longevity. (2026). What is the current clinical evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of the topical 5% lidocaine medicated plaster for localized neuropathic pain (LNP)? [Plain-English summary of J Pain Res 2016, PMID 26929664, DOI 10.2147/JPR.S99231]. Magellan Longevity. https://magellanlongevity.com/study/lidocaine_lnp.html@misc{magellan_lidocaine_lnp,
title = {What is the current clinical evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of the topical 5% lidocaine medicated plaster for localized neuropathic pain (LNP)?},
author = {{Magellan Longevity}},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://magellanlongevity.com/study/lidocaine_lnp.html}},
note = {Plain-English summary of PubMed PMID 26929664; DOI 10.2147/JPR.S99231; J Pain Res 2016. Reviewed by Gabriel Radu, DO},
urldate = {2026-08-11}
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