Intervention study on subacute and chronic pain in Primary Care: an approach to the effectiveness of neural therapy

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of NT in reducing pain and minimising use of analgesics in patients. Design: Before and after intervention study. Setting: Llefia Primary Health Care centre in Badalona (Barcelona). Participants: Eighty-two patients between the ages of 25 and 85 years old, who suffered pain that did not disappear after a month. Main measurements: Data was collected to evaluate any change in pain and the use of analgesics in patients before intervention and then afterwards, at 2 weeks, 3 months and 6 months. This was conducted by means of interviews and use of the Visual Analogue Pain Scale (VAS). Results: Mean VAS pre-treatment: 7.94 (SD: 1.68), mean VAS after two weeks 4.63 (SD: 2.79), after 3 months 3.73 (SD: 3.17), and after 6 months 3.48 (SD: 3,27) (P<.001 in the 3 comparisons, using the Wilcoxon-test for matched data). As regards analgesic use after treatment, 74.4% of patients reduced it after 2 weeks, 76.8% after 3 months and 80% after 6 months. Conclusions: Neural therapy can be effective in reducing pain, as well as the use of analgesics. Further clinical trials would be needed to confirm this assertion. (C) 2010 Elsevier Espana, S.L. All rights reserved.