Turkish Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 2001 , Vol 47 , Num 1

The Comparison of Etofenamete With Piroxicam in Patients With Acute or Subacute Back and/or Leg Pain in Terms of Efficacy and Tolerance

Halil Koyuncu 1 ,Fatma Kılınç 2 ,İ. Çelebi 1 ,Şafak şahir Karamehmetoğlu 3 ,S. Tüzgen 4
1 İstanbul Üniversitesi Cerrahpaşa Tıp Fakültesi, Fiziksel Tıp ve Rehabilitasyon Anabilim Dalı, İstanbul
2 Serbest Hekim
3 İstanbul Üniversitesi Cerrahpaşa Tıp Fakültesi, Fiziksel Tıp ve Rehabilitasyon Anabilim Dalı, İstanbul, Türkiye
4 İstanbul Üniversitesi Cerrahpaşa Tıp Fakültesi, Nöroşirurji Anabilim Dalı, İstanbul

Low back pain is one of the most common diseases. Nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drugs are the most commonly used group in the treatment of acute and subacute  low back pain. The aim of this study was to compare efficacy and tolerance of etofenamate and  piroxicam in patients with acute  or subacute low back and/or leg pain. This study was performed on 32 patients (mean age 43.9 ± 12.0, 15 male and 17 female) with low back and/or leg pain. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of the two treatment groups. First group received 20 mg per day IM Piroxicam for seven consecutive days. Second group received  1 gr per day IM. Etofenamate for the same time. Subjects were blindly evaluated before treatment and  on the seventh day of treatment. A statistically significant improvoment was observed in both treatment groups in pain (pain on pressure,  pain during activites of daily living, pain during ROM and pain at rest),  finger tip to floor distance, functional status and muscle spasm. There was no statistically significant difference between both treatment groups in these parameters. There was no statistically significant difference between both treatment groups in efficacy  and tolerance. Two patients reported dizziness and nausea in group 2.The results of this study indicate that both piroxicam and etofenamate  are of high clinical efficacy and safety in the treatment of  low  back and/ or leg pain. 

Keywords : low back pain, piroxicam, etofenamate