A double-blind study of topical massage with Rado-Salil ointment in mechanical low-back pain.

Forty patients with acute mechanical low-back pain were treated in a double-blind manner with either Rado-Salil or placebo for 14 days. Statistically significant improvements in spontaneous pain, muscular contracture and in both the patient's and physician's opinions occurred by day 3. These improvements persisted at day 14 and, in addition, there were statistically significant improvements in the finger-floor distance and the degree of lumbar extension. Treatment with Rado-Salil also allowed significant reduction in the use of oral analgesics. Only a few localized transient side-effects, requiring no specific treatment, were observed.