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Fish oils for back and neck pain
Was not sure if this should go in general medical or general discussions. For the old war dogs here who suffer from painful joints, this may be a partial answer:
Fish oil relieves neck and back pain
The results of a study published in April, 2006 issue of the journal Surgical Neurology reported that omega-3 fatty acid supplements were effective for the majority of individuals who used them to treat neck or back pain.
Joseph Charles Maroon, MD and Jeffrey W. Bost PAC of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center conducted a study of 250 individuals who had been seen by a neurosurgeon with nonsurgical neck or back pain. Participants were advised to consume 1200 milligrams per day of the omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFAs) eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) from fish oil from March to June, 2004. The subjects received questionnaires concerning their response approximately one month after beginning the treatment.
Half of the participants returned their questionnaires after an average of 75 days on fish oil. Sixty percent reported an improvement in overall pain, and the same percentage reported an improvement in joint pain. Satisfaction concerning their improvement was reported by 80 percent. Eighty-eight percent of the participants stated they would continue with the fish oil, and 59 percent discontinued taking prescription nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen. Unlike NSAIDs, which can have adverse effects, no significant side effects were associated with omega-3 essential fatty acid supplementation.
"That close to two thirds of patients could discontinue NSAIDs is certainly provocative, especially given the recent FDA warnings regarding their complications," the authors note. They conclude, “Our results mirror other controlled studies that compared ibuprofen and omega-3 EFAs demonstrating equivalent effect in reducing arthritic pain. Omega-3 EFA fish oil supplements appear to be a safer alternative to NSAIDs for treatment of nonsurgical neck or back pain in this selective group.”
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