calcitonin and Back-Pain

Synthetic salmon calcitonin (SCT) is a potent antiosteoclastic hormone with adjunctive stimulatory effects on osteoblastic function. It is capable of increasing or stabilizing bone mass in osteoporosis and thereby can lessen the risk of fractures. Treatment doses vary from 100 IU daily to 50 IU three times a week, and the duration of treatment is 2 to 5 years. SCT also exerts an analgesic effect on the skeleton that increases its beneficial effect. Side effects, which do not involve organ toxicity, are common but are usually mild and transient. More severe side effects can be managed by maneuvers such as bedtime dosing, premedication, and temporary dose reduction. Primary resistance occurs in approximately 25% of patients and secondary resistance, usually due to neutralizing antibody formation, in 10% to 20% of patients. SCT is indicated in both early and late osteoporosis and is the treatment of choice in the latter.

Topics: Antibody Formation; Back Pain; Bone Density; Calcitonin; Drug Resistance; Female; Humans; Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal; Time Factors

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of calcitonin on beta-endorphin levels in female patients experiencing back pain associated with postmenopausal osteoporosis. The secondary purpose was to assess the pain and quality of life in these patients. There were 30 patients with a mean age of 58.2+/-5.4 years in the treatment group and 26 patients with a mean age of 58.8+/-5.2 years in the placebo group in this randomized, placebo-controlled study. The patients subcutaneously received 100 IU salmon calcitonin or placebo injections and 1,000 mg elementary calcium for 2 weeks. Baseline plasma beta-endorphin levels were measured and repeated after 2 weeks. Patients' pain and quality of life (QOL) were evaluated by using the Visual Analogue Scale, Modified Face Scale, Beck Depression Index, and Nottingham Health Profile. Patients' global assessment of disease activity was also performed at baseline and at the end of the first and second week. We found that plasma beta-endorphin levels in the treatment group were significantly higher than the placebo group at the end of the second week (p<0.001). Although pain and QOL scores were improved at the end of the second week in both groups (p<0.05), the improvement in the treatment group was more significant when compared with the placebo group (p<0.05). Therefore, calcitonin is an analgesic agent, as it increases the plasma beta-endorphin levels in patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis, which consequently improves QOL.

Topics: Aged; Back Pain; beta-Endorphin; Bone Density; Bone Density Conservation Agents; Calcitonin; Female; Humans; Injections, Subcutaneous; Middle Aged; Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal; Placebos; Quality of Life; Single-Blind Method

Forty-two patients with either neurogenic claudication or unilateral root claudication were analyzed in a double-blind comparison of salmon calcitonin (SCT) and placebo, receiving either 100 IU SCT or 1 ml saline four times a week for 8 weeks. Five of 20 SCT and one of 22 placebo patients were classified as responders. There was no statistically significant difference between the treatment groups in the proportion of responders. Seven of eighteen of the placebo group who later received salmon calcitonin improved their walking distance. The authors have not established that this is an organic response.

Topics: Back Pain; Calcitonin; Clinical Trials as Topic; Double-Blind Method; Humans; Intermittent Claudication; Lumbosacral Region; Male; Middle Aged; Myelography; Nervous System Diseases; Spinal Nerve Roots; Tomography, X-Ray Computed