Narcotic analgesics.

There is documentation of the use of opium derived products in the ancient history of the Assyrians: the Egyptians; in the sixth century AD by the Roman Dioscorides; and by Avicenna (980-1037). Reference to opium like products is made by Paracelsus and by Shakespeare. Charles Louis Derosne and Fredrich Wilhelm Adam Serturner isolated morphine from raw opium in 1802 and 1806 respectively, and it was Sertürner who named the substance morphine, after Morpheus, the Greek God of dreams. By the middle 1800s, Opium and related opioid derived products were the source of a major addiction in USA, and to some extent in the United Kingdom. Opioid products are of major therapeutic value in the treatment of pain from injury, post surgery, intractable pain conditions, and some forms of terminal cancer.

Treatment of rheumatic musculoskeletal disorders.

Non-medicinal therapies with water, salts, exercise, massage, supportive devices, and electricity have been used for centuries and continue to be of benefit for some people with musculoskeletal disorders. Historical texts refer to the two electuaries mithridatium and theriaca as early therapeutic attempts of man to provide relief of musculoskeletal symptoms and attempt disease cures. For over 200 years, morphine-derived products have been used for musculoskeletal pain. The development of acetyl salicylic acid was a major breakthrough in joint pain management. This was followed by the introduction of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents, paracetamol, and the use of corticosteroids. The gold-based compounds were the initial disease-modifying drugs and have been followed by the highly successful biologics agents. The basic objectives of musculoskeletal pain management include: reduction or elimination of joint pain; improvement or restoration of joint function and mobility; improvement of muscle strength to protect cartilage, ligaments, and joint capsule; prevention and reduction of damage to joint cartilage and supporting structures.

The effect of the thermal mineral water of Nagybaracska on patients with knee joint osteoarthritis--a double blind study.

To study the effect of thermal mineral water of Nagybaracska (Hungary) on patients with primary knee osteoarthritis in a randomized, double-blind clinical trial, 64 patients with nonsurgical knee joint osteoarthritis were randomly selected either into the thermal mineral water or into the tap water group in a non-spa resort village. The patients of both groups received 30-min sessions of bathing, 5 days a week for four consecutive weeks. The patients were evaluated by a blind observer immediately before and at the end of the trial using Western Ontario and McMaster Osteoarthritis (WOMAC) indices and follow-up assessment 3 months later. Twenty-seven patients of the 32 patients who received thermal mineral water and 25 of the 32 of those treated with tap water completed the trial. The WOMAC activity, pain, and total scores improved significantly in the thermal mineral-water-treated group. The improvement remained also at the end of the 3-month follow-up. The WOMAC activity, pain, and total scores improved significantly also in the tap water group at the end of the treatment course, but no improvement was detected at the end of the 3-month follow-up period. The treatment with the thermal mineral water of Nagybaracska significantly improved activity, pain, and total WOMAC scores of patients with nonsurgical OA of the knee. Even after 3 months, significant improvement was observed compared to the scores before the treatment or to tap water treatment.

Homoeopathic therapy in rheumatoid arthritis: evaluation by double-blind clinical therapeutic trial

1 Twenty-three patients with rheumatoid arthritis on orthodox first-line anti-inflammatory treatment plus homoeopathy were compared with a similar group of twenty-three patients on orthodox first-line treatment plus an inert preparation. 2 There was a significant improvement in subjective pain, articular index, stiffness and grip strength in those patients receiving homoeopathic remedies whereas there was no significant change in the patients who received placebo. 3 Two physicians were involved in prescribing for the patients and there were no significant differences in the results which they obtained. 4 No side effects were obsderved with the homoeopathic remedies

O tratamento homeopatico na artrite reumatoide: avaliacao pelo metodo duplo-cego / Homeopathic treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: double-blind method evaluation

I - Vinte e tres pacientes com artrite reumatoide recebendo tratamento anti-inflamatorio mais homeopatico, foram comparados com grupos similares de vinte e tres pacientes recebendo tratamento ortodoxo mais uma preparacao inerte. 2 - Houve uma significativa melhora na sensacao de dor, nas articulacoes, na rigidez, na forca de pressao nos pacientes que receberam medicamentos homeopaticos, enquanto nenhuma melhora significativa se obteve nos pacientes que receberam placebo. 3 - Dois medicos fizeram o trabalho de prescricao para os pacientes, e nao houve diferenca significativa nos resultados obtidos. Nenhum efeito colateral foi observado com medicamentos homeopaticos

O tratamento homeopatico na artrite reumatoide: avaliacao pelo metodo duplo-cego / Homeopathic treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: double-blind method evaluation

I - Vinte e tres pacientes com artrite reumatoide recebendo tratamento anti-inflamatorio mais homeopatico, foram comparados com grupos similares de vinte e tres pacientes recebendo tratamento ortodoxo mais uma preparacao inerte. 2 - Houve uma significativa melhora na sensacao de dor, nas articulacoes, na rigidez, na forca de pressao nos pacientes que receberam medicamentos homeopaticos, enquanto nenhuma melhora significativa se obteve nos pacientes que receberam placebo. 3 - Dois medicos fizeram o trabalho de prescricao para os pacientes, e nao houve diferenca significativa nos resultados obtidos. Nenhum efeito colateral foi observado com medicamentos homeopaticos