Topical composition containing hyaluronic acid and NSAIDS

A method of treating pain topically, said method comprising administering topically to the skin or exposed tissue of a human, a dosage amount of a pharmaceutical composition, said dosage amount comprising:

• (1) a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) in a therapeutically effective amount to treat pain of the skin or exposed tissue and;
• (2) a form of hyaluronic acid selected from the group consisting of hyaluronic acid, its non-toxic salts and combination thereof,
• characterized in that said dosage amount of said composition is in a dosage form suitable for topical application to the skin or exposed tissue and in a dosage amount in which component (2) exceeds 10 mg/cm.sup.2 of the skin or exposed tissue to which the dosage amount is to be applied, and is in such form that component (2) is immediately available to transport component (1) percutaneously into the epidermis of the skin or exposed tissue to the site of trauma or pathology of pain to be treated, in the skin or exposed tissue, and wherein component (1) is between 1% and 5% by weight of the composition and component (2) is between 1% and 3% by weight of the composition and has a molecular weight of less than 750,000 daltons and greater than 150,000 daltons.