Pain Relief in a Gel? This Prescription Treatment Gets Close

This post has been made in partnership with KETRO.

If your knee has been bothering you for a while, you may already know the drill: take a couple of pills with breakfast, take more later in the day when the pain flares up, and repeat before bed so you can sleep.

The problem is that oral pain relievers travel through your whole body when all you really want is relief in one joint.

KETRO RX: Pain Gel is designed to aim treatment where it hurts. It contains ketorolac, a prescription anti-inflammatory, but instead of swallowing tablets, you apply a gel.

You also do not need an in-person appointment. After completing an online health questionnaire, a licensed provider reviews your information to decide whether the treatment is appropriate. If it is, a U.S. compounding pharmacy prepares your gel and sends it to your home, saving you a trip to the office and the waiting room.

Because ketorolac is a genuine prescription anti-inflammatory rather than an over-the-counter cream, the questionnaire should be taken seriously. The provider will want to know whether you take blood thinners, have a history of stomach ulcers or bleeding, how your kidneys are functioning, what heart conditions you may have, whether you are pregnant, and what other medications you are using. Be thorough, especially if you have been taking ibuprofen regularly.

If you are approved, you can apply the gel to the painful area and continue with your day.

The formula comes from a compounding team that has worked with professional sports organizations such as the Boston Red Sox. That background makes sense, since athletes often deal with the same kinds of aches and strains, only from harder training.

The gel is meant for pain you can locate easily, such as discomfort in a knee, shoulder, or lower back. It is not intended for stomach pain.

With one questionnaire, you can start treating pain at the source instead of waiting for a pill to move through your entire system.