Analgesic effectiveness of subcutaneous carbon-dioxide insufflations as an adjunct treatment in patients with non-specific neck or low back pain.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the analgesic effectiveness of subcutaneous carbon-dioxide insufflations in addition to standard physical treatment in patients with non-specific neck or low back pain.


METHODS
A pragmatic, randomized controlled trial.


METHODS
Rehabilitation hospital inpatients.


METHODS
Patients received either subcutaneous carbon-dioxide insufflations (10 treatments) and standard physical treatment or standard physical treatment only.


METHODS
Affective pain perception (42-point scale), sensory pain perception (30-point scale), pain intensity (100 mm visual analogue scale).


RESULTS
Between-groups differences were -2.2 [95% CI -5.2; +0.9] (affective pain perception), -1.2 [-3, 0; + 0.7] (sensory pain perception), and -6.5 [-14; +1.0] (pain intensity) respectively in favour of subcutaneous carbon-dioxide insufflations.


CONCLUSIONS
Subcutaneous carbon-dioxide insufflations do not seem to be a worthwhile adjunct in the given setting of inpatient rehabilitation. Trials in a monotherapeutic setting, which aim more at the efficacy of subcutaneous carbon-dioxide insufflations, might help to solve this issue.
Brockow
T
T
Research Institute for Spa Therapies and Health Resort Science, Bad Elster, Germany. brockow.th@t-online.de
Dillner
A
A
Franke
A
A
Resch
K L
KL
D000368:Aged; D000698:Analgesia; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007327:Insufflation / Q000379:methods*; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000628:therapy*; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D002245:Carbon Dioxide