Effectiveness of Neural Therapy with Procaine in Relieving Gonalgia due to Primary Gonarthrosis

Abstract

Introduction: Arthrosis, also called osteoarthritis, is listed as one of the oldest universally known degenerative diseases. Gonalgia is the main symptom of gonarthrosis.

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of neural therapy with procaine for relieving gonalgia in primary gonarthrosis.

Methods: A quantitative, cross-sectional and analytical study was conducted. The sample consisted of 42 patients with a diagnosis of gonalgia due to primary gonarthrosis in the period from September 2018 to January 2021 at the pain clinic from Hospital Provincial Celia Sánchez Manduley. The clinical criteria or the clinical-radiological criteria of the American Academy of Rheumatology were taken into account to define the patient with gonalgia due to primary gonarthrosis.

Results: Based on the classification of the American Association of Anesthesiology, the category III prevailed (57.1%). Grade 3 according to the Kellgren and Lawrence classification predominated (35.7 %). At the beginning of the study, 73.8 % of the patients had a severe degree of pain and, at the end of the study, 69.1 % reported no pain. 26.2 % of the patients had previous treatment with nonsteroidal antiinflammatories and nonopioid analgesics; at 15 weeks of follow-up, 95.2 % had normal muscle strength.

Conclusions: Neural therapy with procaine is effective in relieving gonalgia due to primary gonarthrosis, by reducing pain and progression of joint damage and thus minimizing disability and increasing quality of life.