…..for relief of knee osteoarthritis, aka degenerative joint disease.
I had considered this a couple years ago but did not try it after reading that it had to be applied four times daily and that it may take 2-3 weeks to take effect, with no guarantee it would work. That just seemed like too much hassle. The hassle/benefit equation changed for me recently so I’m giving it a go.
My wife picked it up for me so I don’t know how much it cost. The 150-gram tube has enough gel for 33 days of application to a knee [WRONG: see update below]. The dose for a smaller joint like a wrist is half as much, so the tube would last 66 days. The package insert says it may take up to seven days to work. “If no pain relief in 7 days, stop use.””Use Voltaren Arthritis Pain 4 times a day every day for up to 21 days for treatment of arthritis pain or as directed by your doctor.”
I’ll let you know.
—–Steve Parker, M.D.
Update on August 28, 2026:
I think it worked somewhat. Could have been a placebo effect, or just the effect of massaging my knee four times daily, or the knee just improved spontaneously. It didn’t work so well that I wanted to run out immediately and get another tube of it. In fact I haven’t used it since then. I’m sure my math above (“enough gel for 33 days of application to a knee”) is wrong. If memory serves, the 150 gram tube holds 33 doses. Applied four times daily x seven days = 28 doses for my one week experiment. I got a 100-gram tube of the generic diclofenac (Equate brand) at WalMart today for $12-15. I’ve used Tiger Balm for immediate relief when the arthritis interferes with my sleep but, man, that stuff is expensive.
Advanced Mediterranean Diet 