Background: Chronic musculo-skeletal pain is relatively common in all age groups and may be the result of various traumas and the natural aging process. Pharmaceutical agents including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, opioids and other drugs are frequently used to treat the resulting pain in such patients. Because of the potential adverse effects associated with most of these drugs, the use of complementary and alternative therapies is relatively widespread among patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain. And topical analgesics can produce a local clinically effective concentration without the attendant systemic effects.
Objective: We performed a pilot study comparing the topical analgesic effects of a purified coconut based topical analgesic with diclofenac ointment and jasmine oil in participants with chronic musculoskeletal pain.
Study Design: Comparative pilot study. Setting: St. Lucia Pain Institute, St. Lucia.
Participants: A randomized comparative pilot study was done with Fidapin (Test drug), Diclofenac ointment (FDA approved NSAID) and Jasmine oil, after approval by the Ethics Board. One hundred and ninety six (196) participants were enrolled and randomized to the 3 groups using the nQuery Advisor version 7.0 software protocols.
Measurements: The primary outcome measure was the reduction in pain across the three groups. Follow up was by telephone contact at weeks 2 and 12, and a clinic visit at week 4.
Statistical Analysis: The 3 randomized treatment groups were compared with non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis rank tests
Musculo-skeletal pain; Complementary and alternative medicine; Topical analgesics; Essential oils