Use of diclofenac in analgesia

Abstract

The inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis by nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs can alleviate the pain and inflammation associated with a variety of disorders. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have a role, therefore, in the treatment of nonrheumatic conditions as well as in the treatment of rheumatic diseases, an area in which these agents have been used and studied more extensively. In clinical conditions marked by acute or chronic pain and inflammation, such as oral surgery, dysmenorrhea, low back pain, renal colic, and biliary colic, as well as in post-traumatic and postoperative conditions, diclofenac sodium, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug with potent prostaglandin synthetase inhibition, has been shown to be an effective analgesic agent. In the current studies, diclofenac was given orally or by intramuscular injection in doses ranging from 50 to 75 mg daily, or up to 150 mg per day for longer-term use. When compared with placebo, diclofenac provided consistently superior relief of symptoms. Comparisons with other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or with opioids, such as pentazocine or Spasmofen, demonstrate that symptom relief with diclofenac was either comparable to or better than that obtained with these agents.