RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: In breast cancer patients, posttreatment pain often appears after several months and strongly impairs health-related quality of life. Conventional methods of pain reduction are often ineffective. Injection therapy with Traumeel (Heel GmbH, Baden-Baden, Germany), a medication with analgesic properties used in homotoxicology for treatment of the pain associated with trauma as well as a mediator of inflammation, was proposed as an innovative approach for pain relief after breast cancer treatment. DESIGN: Nine patients, still suffering from a high level of pain after breast cancer therapy despite use of postoperative treatment with conventional analgesics, were invited to participate. A Traumeel and procaine injection was administered once a week for three to 10 sessions. The level of pain was assessed by a pain score and physical and psychological status by a questionnaire before and directly after injection and again at follow-up visits after 3 and 6 months. RESULTS: After the last injection, all patients experienced a marked reduction of their level of pain on average from 7.6 +/- 1.5 to 2.4 +/- 1.4 points on a scale from 1 to 10 points. After a followup observational phase of 3 and 6 months, pain score ratings increased slightly again in some patients but remained consistently low in others. In any case, the ratings of pain levels did not reach the values assessed before the start of Traumeel injection. Similarly, health-related quality of life improved with this injection therapy. The perception of pain relief with Traumeel injection was high in 8 of 9 patients, reflecting an overall perceived positive outcome and tolerability of this treatment. CONCLUSIONS: This case series represents a first encouraging approach to using this complex homeopathic injection for pain relief in breast cancer patients.
Assuntos
Analgésicos/administração & dosagem , Homeopatia/métodos , Minerais/administração & dosagem , Dor Pós-Operatória/tratamento farmacológico , Extratos Vegetais/administração & dosagem , Saúde da Mulher , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Neoplasias da Mama/complicações , Neoplasias da Mama/cirurgia , Relação Dose-Resposta a Droga , Feminino , Humanos , Injeções Subcutâneas , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Medição da Dor/métodos , Dor Pós-Operatória/etiologia , Resultado do TratamentoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: There is a demand for clinical trials that demonstrate homeopathic medications to be effective and safe in the treatment of acute maxillary sinusitis (AMS). OBJECTIVE: The objective of this clinical trial was to demonstrate the efficacy of a complex homeopathic medication (Sinfrontal) compared with placebo in patients with AMS confirmed by sinus radiography. DESIGN: A prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase III clinical trial was conducted for a treatment period of 22 days, followed by an eight-week posttreatment observational phase. SETTING: The clinical trial was conducted at six trial sites in the Ukraine. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred thirteen patients with radiography-confirmed AMS participated in the trial. INTERVENTIONS: Fifty-seven patients received Sinfrontal and 56 patients received placebo. Additionally, patients were allowed saline inhalations, paracetamol, and over-the-counter medications, but treatment with antibiotics or other treatment for sinusitis was not permitted. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary outcome criterion was change of the sinusitis severity score (SSS) from day zero to day seven. Other efficacy assessments included radiographic and clinical cure, improvement in health state, ability to work or to follow usual activities, and treatment outcome. RESULTS: From day zero to day seven, Sinfrontal caused a significant reduction in the SSS total score compared with placebo (5.8 +/- 2.3 [6.0] points vs 2.3 +/- 1.8 [2.0] points; P < .0001). On day 21, 39 (68.4%) patients on active medication had a complete remission of AMS symptoms compared with five (8.9%) placebo patients. All secondary outcome criteria displayed similar trends. Eight adverse events were reported that were assessed as being mild or moderate in intensity. No recurrence of AMS symptoms occurred by the end of the eight-week posttreatment observational phase. CONCLUSION: This complex homeopathic medication is safe and appears to be an effective treatment for acute maxillary sinusitis.
Assuntos
Homeopatia/métodos , Sinusite Maxilar/tratamento farmacológico , Fitoterapia/métodos , Extratos Vegetais/uso terapêutico , Doença Aguda , Adulto , Antibacterianos/uso terapêutico , Relação Dose-Resposta a Droga , Método Duplo-Cego , Esquema de Medicação , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Estudos Prospectivos , Índice de Gravidade de Doença , Resultado do Tratamento , UcrâniaRESUMO
OBJECTIVES: Arnica montana, belonging to the Compositae family, is a plant with a longstanding tradition of relieving pain and/or inflammation in muscles and joints and may thus represent an alternative to nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, which are often ineffective or lead to a number of adverse effects. A homeopathic arnica patch (3X dilution according to the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States) was developed to alleviate pain symptoms in the back and neck muscles and joints. CASE PRESENTATION: The present case report describes the treatment outcome after administration of the arnica patch in a 55-year-old female patient with pain in the right hand and numbness in the fourth finger after cellulitis in the palmar area. The cellulitis was treated with antibiotics, but pain symptoms remained at 7 points on a 0-to-10-point visual analog scale (VAS) for pain despite intake of oral ibuprofen and oral and topical application of an arnica-containing complex homeopathic ointment. Ten arnica patches were dispensed to the patient. She cut the patch into strips to cover all painful areas of the hand and applied them at night. After 3 days, she reported a substantial decrease in pain symptoms (VAS = 1) and a marked decrease in numbness and in the size of a tender nodule on the third metacarpal area. Moreover, the patient was able to sleep through the night without being awakened by the pain. The symptoms declined further during the next 2 days. CONCLUSION: This case demonstrates that after a relatively short period of time, the administration of the arnica patch on the hand provided a marked reduction of pain and recovery of functionality of the hand.