In a recent double blind placebo-controlled trial, application of morphine gel to chronic leg ulcers showed no clinical significance in comparison to placebo gel.

Studies have shown positive results when topical morphine is applied during knee surgery or for treating arthritis, however, its efficacy in treating pain in chronic leg ulcers has recently been shown to be ineffective.  Clinicians in Sweden, however, have been using this method extemporaneously to treat pain from ulcers and burn wounds.

This study examined the effects of topical morphine on 17 patients who suffer from chronic leg ulcers. The patients were split up into two groups, one which was treated with the morphine gel and the other with a placebo gel. There was a wide variation in response to the gels. Both groups showed an almost equal amount of pain after the gel had been applied and there was little difference in the overall outcomes. Only one patient seemed to react significantly better to the morphine than the others, suggesting that for the majority of patients, topical morphine is not an ideal treatment for pain.

To see the study, click here.

Image: Morphine. Credit: jm3 on Flickr.