Efficacy of Homoeopathy and Physiotherapy in Chronic Low Back Pain Due to Osteoarthritis
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2014-07-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
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) .