Efficacy and cost-effectiveness of intradiscal methylene blue injection for chronic discogenic low back pain: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

What Was Tested

Researchers studied Methylene blue (non-peptide stack partner) in the context of chronic pain: fibromyalgia & crps in this randomized controlled trial publication.

Therefore, the researchers decided to repeat this study to investigate whether the researchers could replicate the published results.

Why It Was Studied

Low back pain (LBP) is a common health problem and a substantial part of LBP is presumed to be attributable to degeneration of the intervertebral disc.

In 2010, the results of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) were published concerning "intradiscal methylene blue injection" (IMBI), in which this intervention appeared to be very successful in relieving discogenic pain.

Who Took Part

Consecutive discogenic low back pain patients referred to four specialized pain treatment facilities are being screened for eligibility.

After a positive standardized provocation discography and informed consent, patients are randomized into two groups.

How the Study Was Run

The design is described as randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled.

Because people in this Methylene blue (non-peptide stack partner) study were split into groups at random, differences between the groups are less likely to reflect who happened to join each one.

As a double-blind Methylene blue (non-peptide stack partner) study, the assignments were hidden from both participants and investigators until the end.

The comparison arm used a placebo, so changes seen with Methylene blue (non-peptide stack partner) could be set against what happens without it.

The treatment group receives an intradiscal injection with methylene blue, lidocaine, and contrast, and the control group receives intradiscal isotonic saline with lidocaine and contrast.

What Was Measured

Topics PubMed links to this paper include Analgesics, Anesthetics, Local, Chronic Pain, Clinical Protocols, Cost-Benefit Analysis, Disability Evaluation and Drug Combinations.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of Methylene blue (non-peptide stack partner) in people with chronic pain: fibromyalgia & crps.

Its findings take up roughly 2 sentences of the abstract and are left out here on purpose; the source paper is the place to read them.

The publication is from 2015 (Trials), a journal based in England.

More context: the Methylene blue (non-peptide stack partner) compound page, Chronic pain: fibromyalgia & CRPS research.