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Effect of Combined Diclofenac and B Vitamins (Thiamine, Pyridoxine, and Cyanocobalamin) for Low Back Pain Management: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
Calderon-Ospina, CA, Nava-Mesa, MO, Arbeláez Ariza, CE
Pain medicine (Malden, Mass.). 2020;(4):766-781
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Cumulative evidence suggests an analgesic effect of thiamine, pyridoxine, and cyanocobalamin (TPC) in monotherapy, and also when combined with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), particularly diclofenac, in a synergistic manner. The aim of this review was to determine the effects of diclofenac combined with TPC compared with diclofenac monotherapy for low back pain (LBP) management. METHODS We searched for randomized clinical trials on the MEDLINE, EMBASE, LILACS, and Cochrane databases of records of clinical trials, among other sources. We evaluated the risk of bias regarding randomization, allocation concealment, blinding, incomplete outcome data, selective reporting, and other biases. A random-effects meta-analysis to examine patients with acute LBP (N = 1,108 adults) was performed, along with a subsequent sensitivity analysis. RESULTS Five studies in patients with LBP were included in the qualitative synthesis. Four of these studies in acute LBP were included in the first meta-analysis. A sensitivity test based on risk of bias (three moderate- to high-quality studies) found that the combination therapy of diclofenac plus TPC was associated with a significant reduction in the duration of treatment (around 50%) compared with diclofenac monotherapy (odds ratio = 2.23, 95% confidence interval = 1.59 to 3.13, P < 0.00001). We found no differences in the safety profile and patient satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS This meta-analysis demonstrated that combination therapy of diclofenac with TPC might have an analgesic superiority compared with diclofenac monotherapy in acute LBP. However, there is not enough evidence to recommend this therapy in other types of pain due to the scarcity of high-quality studies.
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Exercise interventions for the treatment of chronic low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.
Searle, A, Spink, M, Ho, A, Chuter, V
Clinical rehabilitation. 2015;(12):1155-67
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine, for adults with chronic low back pain, which exercise interventions are the most effective at reducing pain compared to other treatments. DATA SOURCES A search of MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, SPORTDiscus, PsycINFO and The Cochrane Library was conducted up to October 2014. REVIEW METHODS Databases were searched for published reports of randomised trials that investigated the treatment of chronic low back pain of non-specific origin with an exercise intervention. Two authors independently reviewed and selected relevant trials. Methodological quality was evaluated using the Downs and Black tool. RESULTS Forty-five trials met the inclusion criteria and thirty-nine were included in the meta-analysis. Combined meta-analysis revealed significantly lower chronic low back pain with intervention groups using exercise compared to a control group or other treatment group (Standard Mean Deviation (SMD) =-0.32, CI 95% -0.44 to -0.19, P<0.01). Separate exploratory subgroup analysis showed a significant effect for strength/resistance and coordination/stabilisation programs. CONCLUSIONS Our results found a beneficial effect for strength/resistance and coordination/stabilisation exercise programs over other interventions in the treatment of chronic low back pain and that cardiorespiratory and combined exercise programs are ineffective.
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Impact of herbal medicines on physical impairment.
Chrubasik, C, Black, A, Müller-Ladner, U, Chrubasik, S
Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology. 2008;(6-7):536-9
Abstract
The usefulness of recording physical impairment during intervention studies in chronic low back patients has been questioned. A re-analysis of all of our studies investigating aqueous extracts of Harpagophytum procumbens and a proprietary ethanolic Salix extract for chronic non-specific low back pain revealed that the "physical impairment" component of the Arhus low back pain index changed very little during treatment despite appreciable changes in the other two components, "pain" and "disability", over time. For comparison, we also extracted data from the literature on the topical use of capsaicin, which showed the same thing. There may be little to lose from omitting the time-consuming assessments of "physical impairment" in studies of the (primarily analgesic) effectiveness of herbal preparations.