Homoeopathic therapy in cervical spondylosis pain management: A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Authors

Jaya Gupta, Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy, New Delhi
Ramesh Bawaskar, Regional Research Institute for Homoeopathy, Mumbai, Maharashtra
Prakash Rao, Clinical Research Unit, Puducherry
Ashish Shivadikar, Regional Research Institute for Homoeopathy, Gudivada, Andhra Pradesh
Paul Sumithran, Central Research Institute for Homoeopathy, Kottayam, Kerala
Ramendra Pal, Regional Research Institute for Homoeopathy, Jaipur, Rajasthan
Shahid Ali, Drug Standardisation Extension, Unit, Hyderabad, Telangana
Hima Bindu, Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy, New Delhi; Drug Standardisation Extension, Unit, Hyderabad, Telangana
M Arya, Dr. D P Rastogi Central Research Institute for Homoeopathy, Noida, Uttar Pradesh

Keywords

homeopathy

Article Type

Original Article

Abstract

Background: Homoeopathic medicines are known to be effective in alleviating pain and other troublesome symptoms of patients suffering from cervical spondylosis. Objective: The primary objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of predefined homoeopathic medicines in the pain management of cervical spondylosis using the Cervical Spondylosis Pain Management Scale (CSPMS). Methods: A prospective, double-blind randomised placebo-controlled multicentric clinical trial was conducted from April 2012 to May 2013. Results: Sixty-seven cases were enrolled in the Homoeopathy group and 69 in the placebo group. One hundred and thirty-four cases that completed the follow-ups were analysed. The improvement in pain was 56.18% in the Homoeopathy group and 46.45% in the placebo group, as per CSPMS. The mean improvement between the groups was not significant: 60.36% in the Homoeopathy group and 48.66% in the placebo group. The mean score of quality of life, assessed using the 'Patient's Global Impression of Change Scale,' was 2.29 ± 1.90 quality of life in the Homoeopathy group and 2.93 ± 2.28 in the placebo group. There was 27.95% more improvement in the Homoeopathy group, as compared to the placebo group. Among the most used medicines were Rhus toxicodendron (n = 19) 28.8%, Calcarea carbonica (n = 7) 10.6%, Kalmia latifolia (n = 7) 10.6% and Paris quadrifolia (n = 8) 12.1%. Conclusion: Homoeopathic medicines are effective in management of acute pain due to cervical spondylosis.

Digital Object Identifier

10.4103/ijrh.ijrh_70_19

Publisher

Wolters Kluwer India Pvt. Ltd.

How to cite this article

Gupta J, Bawaskar R, Rao P, et al. Homoeopathic therapy in cervical spondylosis pain management: A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Indian J Res Homoeopathy 2020;14:242-250. doi: 10.4103/ijrh.ijrh_70_19