Thirty athletes with muscular
contractures were enrolled in a double-blind study of
dantrolene sodium and placebo to evaluate the decontracture activity and tolerance of the
drug after eight days of treatment. The efficacy of the
drug was assessed by studying
pain at rest, during movement, and during pressure, as well as muscular tension and functional recovery. Twenty-eight patients completed the study. At the end of treatment, a decrease in
pain was observed at rest (71.4% of patients treated with
dantrolene and 21.4% of placebo-treated patients), during movement (78.6% and 35.7%, respectively), and during compression. The most noticeable effects were seen in the reduction of muscular tension (100% in the patients treated with
dantrolene sodium and 35.7% in the placebo-treated patients) and in functional recovery (100% and 28%, respectively). In addition to the clinical study, an evaluation of the effects of
dantrolene and placebo on overall performance and on the action of the respiratory system was conducted with six healthy subjects by means of basal respiratory measurement and ergospirometry before and after single-dose treatment. This study showed that
dantrolene sodium is useful in the treatment of traumatic
contracture, and that it does not alter an individual's overall performance.
Dantrolene sodium represents a valid treatment to accompany
analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and rehabilitation
therapy of posttraumatic lesions in athletes.