[Flupirtine in acute and chronic pain associated with muscle tenseness. Results of a postmarket surveillance study].

Background: Flupirtine with its specific mode of action as Selective Neuronal Potassium Channel Opener (SNEPCO) shows analgesic, muscle tone normalizing properties and iprotects from chronification. By means of an open multicentre drug monitoring study new data should be accumulated in terms of efficacy and patient's tolerance of flupirtine upon treatment of acute and chronic pain associated with muscle tenseness.

Results: Regarding acute and chronic pain, significant reduction of pain intensity, pain upon pressure and muscular tenseness could be proved. Simultaneously, decrease of sleep disorders due to pain and strong reduction of restrictions in daily life caused by pain improved distinctly patient's quality of life. Efficacy and tolerance has mainly been rated as good and very good respectively by physicians and patients, the number of undesired drug reactions being under 1%.

Conclusion: Data of this study confirm the analgesic and muscle tone normalizing efficacy of flupirtine upon treatment of acute and chronic pain associated with muscle tenseness and show, that flupirtine has to be considered as a substance of first choice for the treatment of these disorders.