TRAUMEEL® PRODUCT MONOGRAPH44

Traumeel® compared with diclofenac 1% gel for acute symptomatic treatment of tendinopathy

Schneider C, Klein P, Stolt P, Oberbaum M. A homeopathic ointment preparation compared with 1% diclofenac gel for acute symptomatic treatment of tendinopathy. Explore 2005;1(6):446 452.

Study design Patients with tendinopathies of varying etiologies were treated with:

Traumeel® ointment n=122: 63 male, 59 female; mean age 47.8 years; tendinopathy.

Affecting elbow 47, wrist 24, ankle 18, shoulder 16, knee 13. diclofenac 1% gel n=235: 108 male, 127 female; mean age 47.9 years;

tendinopathy. Affecting elbow 77, wrist 46, ankle 39, shoulder 36, knee 24.

Maximum duration of treatment 28 days. Traumeel® applied: with bandage 46.7%, twice daily 15.6%, three times daily

57.4%, 4 times daily 26.2%; number of daily applications reduced during course of treatment 19.7%.

Diclofenac applied: with bandage 28.5%, twice daily 18.3%, three times daily 60.9%, four times daily 18.3%; number of daily applications reduced during course of treatment 10.6%.

Outcome measures Efficacy variables: symptomatic changes (pain and mobility), severity of

tendinopathy, time to first symptomatic improvement. Compliance (very high, high, moderate or low) and tolerability.

Results The degrees of improvement in pain and mobility variables were highly similar

between treatment groups. In most cases, symptoms started to improve after 3 7 days: lack of symptomatic

improvement within 28 days was reported in 2.5% of Traumeel® group and 7.7% of diclofenac group.

In global evaluation of therapies verdicts of very good or good were given in 88% of Traumeel® cases and 82% of diclofenac cases (p=0.09).

STUDY DESIGN FORMULATION INDICATION(S) Non-randomized, observational study.

Traumeel® ointment. Tendinopathies of varying etiologies.