A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial Comparing the Outcomes of Homeopathic-phytotherapeutic and Conventional Therapy of Whiplash in an Emergency Department

Summary

From 2006 to June 2007, 51 patients have been triaged for acute whiplash injury and randomized to receive conventional or nonconventional therapy. The conventional therapy group A (n = 27) received diclofenac + tinazidine for 15 days. The complementary therapy group B (n = 24) received Hypericum perforatum as a homeopathic remedy and Ribes nigrum as a phytotherapeutic agent. Ambulatory controls were programmed twenty days after whiplash (post-acute outcome) and every month for one year. Electromyography (EMG) was performed on both groups in all the patients 30 days after whiplash to evaluate the radicular damage. Visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to rate the patient's pain. A score was developed to evaluate the therapeutic control of pain and neurologic symptoms. We also considered the incidence of late whiplash syndrome (LWS) in both groups of patients. Statistical analysis revealed a significant improvement of post-acute outcome in the B-group patients (p = 0.005) and a significant increase of adverse effects in the A-group (p = 0.013), while no differences were observed between the two groups in terms of the EMG evaluation (p = 0.0612), use of additional therapies (p = 0.0542), and incidence of LWS (p = 1.000). We conclude that nonconventional therapies might offer a valid aid in treating whiplash injury, even in the presence of neurologic symptoms. However, the final incidence of LWS is not influenced by the complementary therapy chosen for this study.

Key words

Whiplash - Homeopathy - Phytotherapy - Hypericum perforatum - Ribes nigrum

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Authors

1 Emergency Department, L. Sacco Hospital, Degree of School of Homeopathy

2 Professor of General Pathology, Dip. Scienze Cliniche L. Sacco Università di Milano

3 Chief of the Emergency Department, L. Sacco Hospital

4 Professor of Statistical Analysis, Dip. Scienze Cliniche L. Sacco Università di Milano

5 M. D., Department of Surgery, Hospital of Tradate, Varese

6 M. D., Emergency Department, L. Sacco Hospital

7 Biologist, Degree in Phytotherapy

8 M. D., Emergency Department, L. Sacco Hospital

9 M. D., Department of Neurology, L. Sacco Hospital

10 M. D., Department of Neurology, L. Sacco Hospital