May 10, 2006 – Fish oil may relieve pain associated with back and neck pain and even make anti-inflammatory drugs unnecessary.
American researchers carried out a clinical trial1 in 125 subjects suffering from low back pain or neck pain. The results indicate that a fish oil supplement allowed about 60% of study participants to stop their anti-inflammatory medication.
This trial did not have a control or placebo group and was carried out over a short period. Regardless, the researchers believe that their results tend to confirm that the omega-3 fatty acids in fish oils have a definite anti-inflammatory effect. According to them, taking this supplement would allow many patients to limit their consumption of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), or even stop it altogether.
The medical scientific community increasingly agrees that NSAIDs (COX-2 inhibitors, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, acetylsalicylic acid, etc.) cause undesirable effects which limit their usefulness: gastric ulcers, hemorrhages, cardiovascular disorders, etc. Therefore, many experts are turning to fish oils, which are a less damaging alternative, to relieve inflammatory pain.
It was already known that omega-3 fatty acids could replace NSAIDs in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis2. The results of the study which has just been published reveal that the same is true for the treatment of lumbar or cervical disc pathologies. Experts urge doctors to recommend fish oils to their patients in order to limit the use of NSAIDs.
Unlike the immediate pain relieving effect of NSAIDs, fish oils take two to three months to exert their effect. It is not yet clear whether fatty acids from marine sources can influence the course of the disease or if their effects are limited to symptoms.
Pierre Lefrançois – PasseportSanté.net
According to Foodnavigator USA.
1. Maroon JC, Bost JW. Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) as an anti-inflammatory: an alternative to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for discogenic pain, Surg Neurol, 2006 Apr; 65 (4): 326-31.
2. Cleland LG, James MJ, Proudman SM. The role of fish oils in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, Drugs, 2003; 63 (9): 845-53.
3. Cleland LG, James MJ. Marine Oils for Antiinflammatory Effect â € ”Time to Take Stock, J Rheumatol, 2006 Feb; 33 (2): 207-9: www.jrheum.com [Texte intégral consulté le 8 mai 2006].