calendula and Pain

Episiotomy is associated with an increased risk of postpartum pain, bleeding, and dyspareunia. The hypothesis of this trial was that in women with singleton pregnancy, and spontaneous labor at term, use of calendula ointment would reduce pain after episiotomy.. This was a single-center parallel group randomized trial of women with singleton pregnancies and spontaneous labor at term who were randomized to either use of calendula ointment (i.e. intervention group) or standard care (i.e. control group) after episiotomy. Eligible women were those with singleton gestations in spontaneous labor and vertex presentation at term. Women with premature rupture of membranes were excluded from the study. Women in the intervention group were recommended use of calendula ointment 4 h after the episiotomy and then every 8 h for 10 days. The primary outcome was the pain level. Pain level was self-reported and recorded using the verbal rating scale (VRS). The effect of the calendula ointment was quantified as mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence interval (CI).. During the study, 100 women agreed to take part in the study, underwent randomization, and were enrolled in this trial. Of the 100 randomized women, 50 were randomized to the calendula ointment group, and 50 to the control group. No women were excluded after randomization or lost to follow up.Women who received calendula ointment after episiotomy compared to standard care had a significantly lower pain level starting from day two and during all the follow-up. Calendula ointment also improve wound healing in terms of redness and edema.. Use of calendula ointment significantly reduce pain after episiotomy.

Topics: Calendula; Episiotomy; Female; Humans; Ointments; Pain; Pain Measurement; Perineum; Pregnancy

Vaginal dystrophy due to hypo-oestrogenism takes advantage of local and systemic oestrogens to balance the vaginal ecosystem and improve tissue hydration. Women who do not accept/tolerate hormone therapy can use intravaginal isoflavones to relieve vaginal dryness. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical effect of a vaginal gel formulation containing isoflavones compared with no topical treatment in women with vaginal dystrophy.. In a multicentre, controlled, parallel-group study, menopausal women with vaginal dystrophy were randomized to vaginal gel (EG) or no topical treatment (NT) for 4 weeks. EG contained isoflavones, Lactobacillus sporogenes, Calendula officinalis extract and lactic acid (Estromineral Gel, Rottapharm-Madaus). All patients received daily oral isoflavones plus L. sporogenes. Clinical evaluations were performed at time 0, 2 and 4 weeks.. 186 women were recruited, 103 in the EG group and 83 in the NT group, mean age 53.7 years, postmenopausal for 4.1 years. The severity of itching, burning, vulvovaginal erythema, vaginal dryness and dyspareunia were significantly reduced during EG treatment compared with the NT group.. The combination of oral and topical isoflavones was shown to be more effective than oral treatment alone in reducing the problems of postmenopausal vaginal dystrophy.

Topics: Aging; Biological Products; Calendula; Combined Modality Therapy; Dietary Supplements; Erythema; Female; Gels; Glycine max; Humans; Isoflavones; Lactobacillus; Middle Aged; Pain; Postmenopause; Pruritus; Time Factors; Vagina; Vaginal Creams, Foams, and Jellies; Vaginal Diseases

to evaluate and correlate the symptomatic, motor and sensory responses to two widely used categories of spasmolytic agents in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).. 118 patients with IBS, diagnosed by Rome II criteria and 45 healthy individuals were studied. In the IBS subjects, pain severity, as well as the sensory response to rectal balloon distention and rectal and sigmoid motility, were studied at baseline and after two weeks therapy with either oral buscopan (20 mg three times a day, n=37), a buscopan suppository (30 mg once daily, n=21), oral drotaverine (80 mg three times a day, n=30), calcium gluconate tablets (one three times a day, n=16) as a control for oral agents, or calendula suppository (once daily, n=14) as a control for those who received a suppository.. Buscopan, whether administered as a tablet or a suppository, produced a significant reduction in pain scores among IBS patients with predominant diarrhea. No significant differences were evident among other IBS subgroups or in response to drotaverine. None of the interventions had any effect on any of the parameters of rectal or sigmoid motility studied. However, both buscopan and drotaverine led to a significant augmentation of the rectal threshold for discomfort/pain among IBS subjects with predominant diarrhea [21.78 + or - 2.8 vs 39.60 + or - 2.4 (p<0.05), 20.5 + or - 2,8 vs 36.84 + or - 3.8 (p<0.05) and 22.18 + or - 2.8 vs 36.9 + or - 2.42 (p<0.05) for oral buscopan, rectal buscopan and oral drotaverine, respectively].. We conclude that the clinical benefits of supposed spasmolytic (anti-spasmodic) agents may relate more to effects on visceral sensation than motility.

Topics: Administration, Oral; Administration, Rectal; Adult; Butylscopolammonium Bromide; Calcium Gluconate; Calendula; Colon, Sigmoid; Diarrhea; Female; Gastrointestinal Motility; Humans; Irritable Bowel Syndrome; Male; Motor Neurons; Pain; Pain Measurement; Papaverine; Parasympatholytics; Plant Preparations; Rectum; Sensory Receptor Cells; Severity of Illness Index; Suppositories; Tablets; Treatment Outcome; Young Adult

Topics: Baths; Calendula; Foot Dermatoses; Humans; Hydrotherapy; Iatrogenic Disease; Narration; Nevus; Pain; Pain Management; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts; Self Care