[Flupirtine in acute and chronic pain associated with muscle tenseness. Results of a postmarket surveillance study].
BACKGROUND
Flupirtine with its specific mode of action as Selective Neuronal Potassium Channel Opener (SNEPCO) shows analgesic, muscle tone normalizing properties and iprotects from chronification. By means of an open multicentre drug monitoring study new data should be accumulated in terms of efficacy and patient's tolerance of flupirtine upon treatment of acute and chronic pain associated with muscle tenseness.


RESULTS
Regarding acute and chronic pain, significant reduction of pain intensity, pain upon pressure and muscular tenseness could be proved. Simultaneously, decrease of sleep disorders due to pain and strong reduction of restrictions in daily life caused by pain improved distinctly patient's quality of life. Efficacy and tolerance has mainly been rated as good and very good respectively by physicians and patients, the number of undesired drug reactions being under 1%.


CONCLUSIONS
Data of this study confirm the analgesic and muscle tone normalizing efficacy of flupirtine upon treatment of acute and chronic pain associated with muscle tenseness and show, that flupirtine has to be considered as a substance of first choice for the treatment of these disorders.
Mueller-Schwefe
G
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Schmerztherapeutischen Kolloquium-Deutsche Schmerzgesellschaft e.V., Göppingen.
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000631:Aminopyridines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000700:Analgesics / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001416:Back Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005157:Facial Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011788:Quality of Life; D013035:Spasm / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013180:Sprains and Strains / Q000188:drug therapy; D018781:Tension-Type Headache / Q000188:drug therapy*
D000631:Aminopyridines; D000700:Analgesics; C034161:flupirtine