Efficacy of Homoeopathy and Physiotherapy in Chronic Low Back Pain Due to Osteoarthritis

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2014-07-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic arthropathy characterised by disruption and possible loss of joint cartilage along with other joint changes. OA symptoms include progressively developing joint pain provoked or elicited by activity, joint stiffness that lasts for less than 30 minutes on waking and after activity, and occasional joint swelling. It is a common specific mechanical cause of chronic low back pain. Conventional treatment for OA includes physiotherapy treatment and drugs such as paracetamol, non-steroidal anti-Inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), intra-articular injection of corticosteroids and surgery, however these may have possible side effects. Arnica montana, Bryonia alba, Rhus toxicodendron, Causticum, Kalmia latifolia and Calcarea fluoride are homoeopathic remedies indicated and used in the treatment of OA, however, there is no evidence of studies conducted on a complex made up of these remedies.

The aim of the study is to investigate the efficacy of the homoeopathic complex (Arnica montana 6CH, Bryonia alba 6CH, Causticum 6CH, Kalmia latifolia 6CH, Rhus toxicodendron 6CH and Calcarea fluoride 6CH) and physiotherapy in the treatment of chronic low back pain due to osteoarthritis, using the Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire, range of motion (ROM) measurement using the attraction tape and the visual analogue pain scale (VAS) .

• Phase: Phase 2
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Details

• Lead Sponsor: University of Johannesburg

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Must present with symptomatic chronic lower back pain due to OA for more than 3 months and having been diagnosed by a health care practitioner with OA;

• They must have symptoms of OA such as pain and decreased range of motion, on subjective and physical examination and

• Participants must be receiving physiotherapy treatment from a specific and identified physiotherapist

Exclusion Criteria:

• Participants who are receiving any other forms of therapy other than physical therapy (massage and thermotherapy), for example osteopathy, acupuncture, ultrasound or electrotherapy as part of physiotherapy treatment;

• Those presenting with acute lower back pain (with duration of only 3 months or less) and those suffering from chronic lower back pain as a result of disc herniation, compression fracture, lumbar spinal stenosis or spondylolisthesis.