[Vitamin B complex (milgamma) in the treatment of vertebrogenic lumbosacral radiculopathy].

An open controlled study of efficacy of the vitamin B complex (milgamma) has been performed in 38 patients with vertebrogenic lumbosacral radiculopathy suffered from moderate or severe pain during 1 month or longer. Patients have been randomized into 2 equal groups: in the main group milgamma has been prescribed in the combination with diclofenac; patients of the control group have received diclofenac only. Treatment efficacy has been assessed by clinical scales in the 10th and 24th days, and by the results of telephone interview after 3 and 6 months. A trend to higher efficacy of the treatment of the main group compared to that of the control group assessed with the Visual Analogue Scale was observed during all the study but the difference reached the level of statistical significance only to the 24th day. The assessment of qualitative characteristics of pain with the Neuropathic Pain Scale revealed decreasing of intensive, acute and sensitive pain only in patients of the main group. The moderate or substantial improvement was noted in 66% patients received the combination therapy and only in 34% patients received diclofenac. At the 3rd months, between-group differences were still significant (the pain was absent or minimal in 63% patients of the main group and 34% of the control one). The results revealed the potentiation of analgesic effect of diclofenac by the vitamin B complex. Using of milgamma in combination with NSAIDS leads to the rapid and long-standing regress of pain syndrome in patients with lumbosacral radiculopathy.