Potential role of Vitamin B-12 for management of chronic low back pain

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Created On: 20/07/2023

A comparative interventional study was conducted to assess the effect of Vitamin B-12 in alleviating chronic low backache.

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Key take away

Intramuscular injections of Vitamin B-12 can be safely administered with minimal to no side effects and can serve as an adjunct treatment for chronic low back pain.

Background

A comparative interventional study was conducted to assess the effect of Vitamin B-12 in alleviating chronic low backache.

Method

Overall, 496 subjects were recruited and segregated into Group I (n=256) and Group II (n=240). Volunteers in Group I received treatment with Vitamin B-12, while people in Group II were not given Vitamin B-12. Evaluation of the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores was done prior to the treatment.

Individuals in Group II received non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and calcium supplements for a month, whereas Group I received Vitamin B-12 (500 mcg) injections intramuscularly on alternate days for 1 month, in addition to NSAIDs and calcium supplements.

Result

The mean VAS and ODI scores before and after treatment are illustrated in Table 1:

This indicates a significant reduction in VAS and ODI scores following the administration of Vitamin B-12. None of the volunteers reported injection site complications.

Conclusion

The concurrent use of Vitamin B-12 demonstrated a superior effect in alleviating symptoms of chronic backache compared to those without Vitamin B-12 treatment.