The effectiveness of calcitonin on chronic back pain and daily activities in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of nasal calcitonin on chronic back pain and disability attributed to osteoporosis. The study design involved three groups of osteoporotic postmenopausal women suffering from chronic back pain. Group I consisted of 40 women with vertebral fractures, group II of 30 women with degenerative disorders and group III of 40 patients with non specific chronic back pain and without abnormality on plain X-rays. Pain intensity was measured using a numerical rating scale (NRS) and disability due to back pain was measured using the Oswestry disability questionnaire. The patients were randomly assigned to receive, for three months, either 200 IU intranasal salmon calcitonin and 1,000 mg of oral calcium daily (groups IA, IIA, IIIA) or 1,000 mg of oral calcium daily (groups IB, IIB, IIIB). Repeated measures ANOVA showed that there were no significant time, group or interaction effects for pain intensity and disability in any of the groups studied. Mean Oswestry and NRS scores were reduced during the follow-up period in the groups IA, IIIA, but the differences between the two time points were not statistically significant. Intranasal calcitonin has no effect on chronic back pain intensity and functional capacity of osteoporotic women regardless of the presence of fractures, degenerative disorders or chronic back pain of non-specific etiology.

• Authors: G Papadokostakis, J Damilakis, E Mantzouranis, P Katonis, A Hadjipavlou
• Journal: European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society (Eur Spine J) Vol. 15 Issue 3 Pg. 356-62 (Mar 2006) ISSN: 0940-6719 [Print] Germany
• PMID: 16193299 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial)

Chemical References

• Calcitonin
• Calcium

Topics

• Activities of Daily Living
• Administration, Intranasal
• Back Pain (drug therapy, etiology)
• Calcitonin (administration & dosage)
• Calcium (therapeutic use)
• Chronic Disease
• Female
• Humans
• Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal (complications, drug therapy)
• Pain Measurement
• Recovery of Function (drug effects)
• Spinal Fractures (etiology)
• Spinal Osteophytosis (drug therapy, etiology)
• Spondylolisthesis (drug therapy, etiology)