Etofenamate and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation treatment of painful spinal syndromes

: Thirty patients suffering from painful syndromes of the spine were admitted to a randomized controlled clinical trial. They were divided into two groups and treated either with transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), one application every other day, for 20 days or with TENS and an ointment containing etofenamate 10% gel, 3-5 cm daily on the day of TENS therapy, and the same dose twice daily on the other days. The associated therapy achieved, when compared with TENS alone, a statistically significant better outcome. Furthermore a marked improvement of symptoms was observed in a shorter period of time. Therapy was well tolerated and in only four cases mild, self-limiting, skin reactions were observed. On the basis of these results the use of etofenamate and TENS could represent a viable alternative to systemic nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug therapy.