title: Traumeel S for pain relief following hallux valgus surgery: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In spite of recent advances in post-operative pain relief, pain following orthopedic surgery remains an ongoing challenge for clinicians. We examined whether a well known and frequently prescribed homeopathic preparation could mitigate post-operative pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of the homeopathic preparation Traumeel S in minimizing post-operative pain and analgesic consumption following surgical correction of hallux valgus. Eighty consecutive patients were randomized to receive either Traumeel tablets or an indistinguishable placebo, and took primary and rescue oral analgesics as needed. Maximum numerical pain scores at rest and consumption of oral analgesics were recorded on day of surgery and for 13 days following surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Traumeel was not found superior to placebo in minimizing pain or analgesic consumption over the 14 days of the trial, however a transient reduction in the daily maximum post-operative pain score favoring the Traumeel arm was observed on the day of surgery, a finding supported by a treatment-time interaction test (p = 0.04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Traumeel was not superior to placebo in minimizing pain or analgesic consumption over the 14 days of the trial. A transient reduction in the daily maximum post-operative pain score on the day of surgery is of questionable clinical importance.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  This study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov. # NCT00279513.
authors.affiliation: The Center for Integrative Complementary Medicine, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Shepherd R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Singer
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Amit-Kohn
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rosenblum
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Meir Medical Center, Kfar Saba, Israel.
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maoz
authors.affiliation: Biostatistics Unit, Gertner Institute for Epidemiology and Health Policy Research, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel.
authors.forename: Noah
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Samuels
authors.affiliation: Biostatistics Unit, Gertner Institute for Epidemiology and Health Policy Research, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel.|Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel.
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lukasiewicz
authors.affiliation: Biostatistics Unit, Gertner Institute for Epidemiology and Health Policy Research, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel.
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Freedman
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Hadassah University Hospital, and Hebrew University Hadassah School of Public Health, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Ora
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Paltiel
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Menachem
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Itzchaki
authors.affiliation: The Center for Integrative Complementary Medicine, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Meir
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Niska
authors.affiliation: The Center for Integrative Complementary Medicine, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Menachem
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oberbaum
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006215:Hallux Valgus / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D006705:Homeopathy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008903:Minerals / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D008903:Minerals; D010936:Plant Extracts; C433370:Traumeel S