[Piracetam in the treatment of soft tissue rheumatism]

Forty patients aged between 40 and 60 years, diagnosed as suffering from soft-tissue rheumatism were admitted to a randomized, controlled, double-blind study. During the first week they received either 3 g piracetam/day i.v. followed by 3 x 800 mg/day p.o. for the next 8 weeks, or a placebo i.v. and then p.o. After 0, 1, 5 and 9 weeks, pain on starting to walk, on movement and at rest, diurnal and nocturnal, as also improvement or deterioration resulting from movement, warmth or cold, as well as any changes, were recorded on a pain assessment scale and a state-of-wellbeing scale. With respect to all the parameters, piracetam proved significantly superior to the placebo. The laboratory parameters were not affected. The sole side effect was observed in a patient in the placebo group. Both physician and patient assessed the therapeutic results as better in the piracetam group. 92.5% of the treated patients had a history of abnormal perceptional reactions. It is a well known fact that mental factors play a considerable role in non-articular rheumatism.