Magnesium Bier's block for treatment of chronic limb pain: a randomised, double-blind, cross-over study.

What Was Tested

Researchers studied Analgesics in the context of chronic pain: fibromyalgia & crps in this randomized controlled trial publication.

Magnesium is a physiological antagonist of both calcium and the NMDA receptor.

Who Took Part

By PubMed's age tags, the people studied were adults, middle-aged adults, older adults and people over 80, both men and women.

Patients with chronic pain of a limb (>1 month's duration) were treated with two Bier's blocks (250 mmHg, 10 m) in a randomised, double-blind, cross-over design.

How the Study Was Run

The researchers set it up as a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled and crossover study.

The participants were allocated by chance, so the Analgesics group and the comparison group should start out alike.

As a double-blind Analgesics study, the assignments were hidden from both participants and investigators until the end.

Some participants received a placebo instead of Analgesics, giving a reference point.

In the crossover set-up each of the participants took both Analgesics and the comparison in turn, acting as their own control.

What Was Measured

PubMed files the paper under topics including Analgesics, Anesthetics, Local, Autonomic Nerve Block, Chronic Disease, Extremities, Lidocaine and Magnesium Sulfate.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of Analgesics in people with chronic pain: fibromyalgia & crps.

The publication is from 2002 (Pain), a journal based in United States.

More context: Chronic pain: fibromyalgia & CRPS research.