Abstracts Posters SICOT-SOF meeting Gothenburg 2010 _2_

Poster
Topic: Spine
Abstract number: 23761
EFFECT OF ANTIDEPRESSANT THERAPY ON PAIN DUE TO DEGENERATIVE
LUMBER SPONDYLOSIS
Hirotaka TANIKAWA
Azumi General Hospital, Ikeda-Machi, Kitaazumi-Gun (JAPAN)
Introduction: Pain and depression frequently occur together and may arise from
common musculoskeletal disorders. Antidepressant drugs have been shown to be
effective in the treatment of chronic pain due to musculoskeletal disorders. The aim
of the present study was to determine the efficacy of an antidepressant, a serotonin
and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor (SNRI), on the relief of pain due to degenerative
lumber spondylosis. Materials and methods: The study included 17 patients, aged 62
to 82 years. They were all diagnosed as having degenerative lumber spondylosis and
suffered from pain in the low back and lower extremities. The patients were treated
with the SNRI milnacipran for 8 weeks. General symptoms and pain intensity were
rated using visual analogue scales. The subjects completed a Zung self-rating
depression scale at each evaluation. All subjects gave their informed consent.
Results and discussion: General symptoms improved progressively with time, with a
significant improvement from week 2. Pain intensity decreased in the 10 patients who
completed the study; mean pain levels decreased in a time-dependent manner. In 7
patients, the pain intensity at week 8 was less than 50% of that at baseline. The
severity of depression measured using Zung's SDS decreased significantly from
week 2. All patients, including those reporting no pain relief, showed decreased
depressive symptomatology. Conclusions: The present data clearly illustrate that an
antidepressant SNRI may also be useful in the treatment of pain due to degenerative
spondylosis, in a manner that may be independent of an accompanying depressive
state.
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