Study: Arthritis Pain Drug Vioxx Also Effective for Back Pain

The arthritis pain reliever Vioxx (rofecoxib) is also effective for patients with chronic low back pain, according to a study reported in the May 1 issue of the journal Spine.

Chronic back pain affects five to ten percent of people and is a major source of disability and missed work time. Most patients with this condition use nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin or ibuprofen, which can irritate the stomach and gastrointestinal tract.

Rofecoxib and other new cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor drugs are intended to reduce gastrointestinal irritation while effectively relieving pain. They were developed for and are now widely used by patients with arthritis.

Researchers studied 690 patients taking daily pain medications for chronic low back pain. All had moderate to severe long-term pain that averaged 76 on a 100-point scale. The patients were randomly assigned to receive either a placebo or a high or low dose of rofecoxib.

Although individual responses varied, the research team led by Dr. Nathaniel Katz of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston found rofecoxib to be effective in reducing back pain. At both doses of rofecoxib, pain scores averaged about 14 points lower than with the placebo.

The researchers also noted that those taking rofecoxib had greater improvement in a wide range of other outcomes, including the extent to which back pain interfered with everyday activities.

Side effects with rofecoxib were no more frequent than with a placebo with headache, diarrhea and upper respiratory tract infections being the most common. However, the researchers noted that rarely were these side effects severe enough to cause patients to stop taking rofecoxib.

Other sources: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins