THERAPEUTICAL NOTES   

Minerva Ortopedica e Traumatologica 2002 September;53(3):181-6

Copyright © 2002 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: Italian

Controlled study of acetylsalicylic acid efficacy by mesotherapy in lumbo-sciatic pain

Parrini M., Bergamaschi R., Azzoni R.

Background. In recent years mesotherapy has been used on a wide scale. The purpose of the present paper is to assess its validity in the treatment of lumbo-sciatic pain syndrome.
Methods. Forty-four patients hospitalised at the V Orthopaedic Clinic of the University of Milan, Istituto Policlinico San Donato for acute non-compressive lumbo-sciatic pain syndrome were subdivided into two random groups. In addition to the codified standard therapy, one group received a cycle of mesotherapy with administration of acetylsalicylic acid; the other a cycle of mesotherapy with administration of a physiological solution. A continuous analogic system of pain assessment was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment. Cases in which the symptomatology declared during an evaluation carried out 4 hours after mesotherapy showed a diminution up to a value equal to or less than 3/5 of that measured before the therapy were considered positive; all other cases were considered negative.
Results. The difference between positive and negative results in the two groups was statistically significant only after the first administration and was no longer so after subsequent cycle administrations.
Conclusions. The responses obtained, however, show a trend line in favour of the effectiveness of mesotherapy as collateral therapy in the treatment of acute lumbo-sciatic pain syndrome.