Case reports: compounding to relieve arthritis pain.

: Arthritis is an ancient disorder that defies cure. The management of arthritis may require medication, surgery, and/or nonpharmacologic treatment, and patients whose pain responds to drug therapy often achieve substantial benefit from a compounded preparation. Customized to include analgesics in combinations and concentrations not found in commercially manufactured medications, a pain-relieving compound can be prepared in a transdermal form that minimizes the risk of adverse effects associated with some oral medications. In this article, we present case reports of patients whose arthritic pain was relieved by a pharmaceutical compound. Formulations effective in treating inflammatory pain are also provided.