Topical medications are those applied to the skin to help alleviate discomfort locally without affecting the rest of the body. Many can be purchased over the counter and are generally considered safer than taking pills for pain relief and have few medication interactions. Examples include:
 

• Lidocaine cream or lidocaine patches
• Capsaicin cream (chili pepper cream)
• Diclofenac gel (Voltaren)

 
These medications can also be combined with other forms of therapy to improve pain control.