Modern possibilities of therapy of nonspecific pain in the lower back

Aim. To evaluate the effectiveness of combination therapy for low back pain (LBP) associated with spinal osteoarthritis (OA) using the Symptomatic Slow Acting Drugs for OsteoArthritis (SYSADOA) group drug Ambene® Bio.Materials and methods. The study included 30 patients with LBP aged 40 to 65 years. Various scales and questionnaires were used to assess the patients’ condition. All patients received Ambene® Bio 2.0 ml intramuscularly every other day for a total course of 10 injections. Some patients with severe pain continued to receive previously prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). After completing the course of treatment with Ambene® Bio, the overall effect of the therapy, changes in individual need for NSAIDs and the presence of adverse events were assessed.Results. All patients sought medical care due to exacerbation of chronic LBP. X-ray examination of the lumbosacral spine revealed degenerative-dystrophic changes in the vertebral-motor segments of the lumbar spine in all patients and in some patients – in the sacroiliac joints. The treatment showed positive dynamics in 27 (90 %) patients in the form of pain reduction not only in the lower back but also in peripheral joints. Of the 13 patients initially receiving NSAIDs, 7 (53.8 %) reduced the daily dose of the drug, and 3 (23.1 %) were able to stop taking NSAIDs. In 3 (23.1 %) cases, the initial NSAID dosage remained unchanged. Monotherapy with Ambene® Bio was received by 17 (56.7 %) patients. All patients expressed satisfaction with the treatment, of which 18 (60 %) rated the result as “excellent”, 7 (23.4 %) as “good” and 5 (16.6 %) as “satisfactory”.Conclusion. In all patients, therapy with Ambene® Bio, both in mono mode and in in combination with NSAIDs, had a positive effect, which was expressed in the reduction of the intensity of LBP on visual analog scale, improvement of peripheral joint function. In 7 (23.3 %) patients pain reduction was observed after the second injection of the drug (“the effect of the first dose”). In other cases the pain regressed later, but also within the course of treatment. All patients showed high adherence to therapy, which was explained by the rapid onset of the effect. The results of the study allow us to recommend Ambene® Bio for the treatment of LBP associated with spinal OA and within generalized OA, including patients with comorbid conditions.