Voltaren Gel, also known as Flector Patch, Solaraze and Voltaren Topical, is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that is used particularly to treat arthritis and osteoarthritis. It was the first prescription based topical treatment that was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in the United States. It is non-steroidal and reduces the inflammation in joints and can be applied to hands, feet, ankles, knees, tendons, ligaments and other areas of the body amenable to the application of a topical based treatment.

Voltaren Gel contains the active ingredient diclofenac sodium, as diclofenac diethylammonium. Diclofenac has analgesic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory properties. Its effectiveness in fighting the pain associated with osteoarthritis is derived from its ability to inhibit an enzyme known as Cyclo-oxygenase, which produces in the body substances called prostaglandins. When the body suffers an injury or contracts an illness or infection, these prostaglandins are released to fight it. This process entails nerve sensitization which means that the nerves are then more sensitive to pain. By reducing the number of prostaglandins produced by the body subsequent to some trauma and by a process of biosynthesis inhabitation, the diclofenac in the Voltaren Gel is able to subdue and reduce pain.

Other than its primary application to the pain areas associated with arthritis and osteoarthritis, the Diclofenac in Volataren Gel is effective in the relief of a number of muscle and bone related ailments. From simple aches, sprains and bruises to fractures, breaks and dislocations, the analgesic in Voltaren Gel is proven to offer pain relief. Other conditions that Voltaren Gel is known to help relieve are migraine headaches, gout, menstrual pain, dysmenorrhea and nose, ear and throat infections.

The Voltaren Gel is applied externally to the site of pain with pain relief ensuing approximately twenty minutes later. It is recommended that the gel be applied two to three times a day to the pain site. The gel form of the Voltaren formula is particularly suitable for those people who do not wish to ingest the drug. This is an especially relevant consideration when assessing the suitability of a pain relieving agent because oral versions have been known to cause stomach upsets and heart, liver and kidney problems. However, the systemic absorption of Voltaren Gel is ninety-four percent less than its oral equivalent which implies that the gel form is a less effective, if safer, form of the Voltaren drug.