Magnesium salicylate is a common
analgesic and
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)
used to treat mild to moderate
musculoskeletal pain such as
in tendons and
muscles
Skeletal muscles (commonly referred to as muscles) are organs of the vertebrate muscular system and typically are attached by tendons to bones of a skeleton. The muscle cells of skeletal muscles are much longer than in the other types of musc ...
. It is also used to treat
joint pain
Arthralgia (from Greek ''arthro-'', joint + ''-algos'', pain) literally means ''joint pain''. Specifically, arthralgia is a symptom of injury, infection, illness (in particular arthritis), or an allergic reaction to medication.
According to MeSH, ...
like
arthritis,
general
back pain
Back pain is pain felt in the back. It may be classified as neck pain (cervical), middle back pain (thoracic), lower back pain (lumbar) or coccydynia (tailbone or sacral pain) based on the segment affected. The lumbar area is the most common ...
,
and
headaches.
It is found in a variety of
over-the-counter
Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are medicines sold directly to a consumer without a requirement for a prescription from a healthcare professional, as opposed to prescription drugs, which may be supplied only to consumers possessing a valid prescr ...
(OTC) medications, most notably the brand Doan's Pills, as an
anti-inflammatory
Anti-inflammatory is the property of a substance or treatment that reduces inflammation or swelling. Anti-inflammatory drugs, also called anti-inflammatories, make up about half of analgesics. These drugs remedy pain by reducing inflammation as o ...
, primarily for back-pain relief. Magnesium salicylate can be an effective OTC alternative to prescription NSAIDs, with both anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects.
Controversy
While magnesium salicylate is sold as an alternative for pain relief, it is still a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug and, like others in this class, can cause stomach ulcers,
without any proven superiority to other over-the-counter pain relievers.
Novartis, the company (formerly known as Ciba or Ciba-Geigy Corp.) that produces Doan's Pills,
has claimed that the product is superior in providing back pain relief. In June 1996, the US
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) charged the company with violating federal law with its unsubstantiated claim.
In March 1998, the court ruled in favor of the FTC, but there was no stipulation about how the company should or would have to amend its advertising/packaging. Thus, Doan's was able to continue marketing as a "superior treatment for back pain".
In May 1999, the FTC released a statement summarizing the proceedings and announced the commission's decision after a 4–0 vote imposing a penalty on Doan's and its marketer, Novartis, to "run ads to correct misbeliefs resulting from their unsubstantiated claim that Doan's Pills are superior to other over-the-counter analgesics for treating back pain" and to modify packaging to include the statement "Although Doan's is an effective pain reliever, there is no evidence that Doan's is more effective than other pain relievers for back pain."
The ads were required to run for a period of one year.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Magnesium Salicylate
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
Analgesics
Magnesium compounds
Salicylates