Effect of diclofenac with B vitamins for the treatment of acute pain originated by lower-limb fracture and surgery.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of diclofenac, for the treatment of acute pain originated by lower-limb fracture and surgery, with that of diclofenac plus B vitamins. This was a single-center, prospective, randomized and double-blinded clinical trial. Patients with lower-limb closed fractures rated their pain on a 10-cm visual analog scale (VAS). Patients were then randomized to receive diclofenac or diclofenac plus B vitamins (thiamine, pyridoxine and cyanocobalamin) intramuscularly twice daily. Patient evaluations of pain intensity were recorded throughout two periods: twenty-four hours pre-surgery and twenty-four hours post-surgically. One hundred twenty-two patients completed the study. The subjects? assessments of limb pain on the VAS showed a significant reduction from baseline values regardless of the treatment group. Diclofenac plus B vitamins combination was more effective to reduce the pain than diclofenac alone. The results showed that the addition of B vitamins to diclofenac increased its analgesic effect.