Comprehensive nutritional support for patients with chronic non-specific low back pain: Results of the open-label prospective comparative study RAKURS
Abstract. Non-specific low back pain (NSLBP) is the most common musculoskeletal disorder, necessitating the search for effective and rational treatment algorithms in real-world clinical settings. The aim: to evaluate the effectiveness of the dietary supplement containing glucosamine sulfate, acetyl-L-carnitine, boswellic acids and B vitamins as part of a comprehensive treatment plan for patients with NSLBP. Material and methods. The open-label, comparative, prospective study included 50 patients diagnosed with NSLBP and the visual analog scale (VAS) pain score of 40 to 90 mm. Patients were divided into two groups. In the main group, patients received the studied dietary supplement, 2 capsules three times daily for 3 months, and the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) meloxicam, 7.5–15 mg daily, as needed. In the comparison group, patients received meloxicam monotherapy 7.5–15 mg per day, as needed. The effectiveness of therapy was assessed using the VAS of physician and patient satisfaction with therapy and the OSWESTRY questionnaire. Results. By the end of the study, in the group of patients receiving the studied dietary supplement the VAS for physician satisfaction with therapy increased from 50.03 ± 13.19 to 69.23 ± 7.35 mm (p <0.05), the VAS for patient satisfaction increased from 49.26 ± 14.71 to 68.53±7.32 mm (p <0.05), and the OSWESTRY index decreased from 34.94 ± 8.13 to 28.34±4.97% (p <0.05), indicating a significant improvement. In the NSAID (meloxicam) group, a significant improvement in the VAS for physician and patient satisfaction with therapy was also noted compared to baseline values (p <0.05), but no significant improvement in the OSWESTRY questionnaire scores (p >0.05). A comparative analysis of the parameters between the groups revealed a significant advantage in the VAS for physician satisfaction (p <0.05) and VAS for patient satisfaction (p<0.05) in the group of patients receiving the studied dietary supplement. Conclusion. The addition of the dietary supplement containing glucosamine sulfate, acetyl-L-carnitine, boswellic acids and B vitamins to standard NSLBP therapy demonstrates faster improvement in algofunctional parameters and higher treatment satisfaction rates for both patients and physicians, as well as a significant improvement in algofunctional parameters.Mazurov V.I., Trofimova A.S., Ponomarenko E.N., Zhugrova E.S., Parinskaya Yu.R., Trofimov E.A.
Keywords
back pain
dietary supplement
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
complex therapy for back pain
glucosamine sulfate
acetyl-L-carnitine
boswellic acids
B vitamins
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About the Authors
Vadim I. Mazurov, MD, Dr. Sci. (Medicine), professor, academician of RAS, Honored Scientist of the Russian Federation, vice president of RSMSIM, chief scientific advisor, director of the Research institute of rheumatology, head of the Department of therapy and rheumatology named after E.E. Eichwald, I.I. Mechnikov North-Western State Medical University of the Ministry of Healthcare of Russia; head of the Center for Autoimmune Diseases, V.A. Nasonova Clinical Rheumatology Hospital No. 25 (Saint Petersburg); chief external expert – rheumatologist at the Healthcare Committee of the Government of Saint Petersburg. Address: 191015, Saint Petersburg, 41 Kirochnaya St.E-mail: maz.nwgmu@yandex.ru
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0797-2051. Scopus Author ID: 16936315400. eLibrary SPIN: 6823-5482
Anna S. Trofimova, MD, PhD (Medicine), associate professor of the Department of therapy and rheumatology named after E.E. Eichwald, I.I. Mechnikov North-Western State Medical University of the Ministry of Healthcare of Russia. Address: 195015, Saint Petersburg, 41 Kirochnaya St.
E-mail: anna.trofimova@szgmu.ru
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5926-7912. SPIN-code: 3083-7996
Ekaterina N. Ponomarenko, MD, 2nd-year resident physician at the Department of therapy and rheumatology named after E.E. Eichwald, I.I. Mechnikov North-Western State Medical University of the Ministry of Healthcare of Russia. Address: 195015, Saint Petersburg, 41 Kirochnaya St.
E-mail: Ekaterina.ponomarenko@bk.ru
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-5542-5487. SPIN-code: 2504-1754
Elena S. Zhugrova, MD, PhD (Medicine), associate professor of the Department of therapy and rheumatology named after E.E. Eichwald, I.I. Mechnikov North-Western State Medical University of the Ministry of Healthcare of Russia. Address: 195015, Saint Petersburg, 41 Kirochnaya St.
E-mail: jugrova@mail.ru
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8622-5205. SPIN-code: 5504-3159
Yulia R. Parinskaya, MD, PhD (Medicine), associate professor of the Department of therapy and rheumatology named after E.E. Eichwald, I.I. Mechnikov North-Western State Medical University of the Ministry of Healthcare of Russia. Address: 195015, Saint Petersburg, 41 Kirochnaya St.
E-mail: ule8@yandex.ru
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8136-0697
Evgeny A. Trofimov, MD, Dr. Sci. (Medicine), professor, head of the Department of therapy and rheumatology named after E.E. Eichwald, I.I. Mechnikov North-Western State Medical University of the Ministry of Healthcare of Russia. Address: 195015, Saint Petersburg, 41 Kirochnaya St.
E-mail: Evgeniy.trofimov@szgmu.ru
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3236-4485. SPIN-code: 4358-1663
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