The use of oral colchicine for low-back pain. A double-blind study

The use of colchicine for the treatment of low-back pain has been controversial; however, recent studies have shown its effectiveness when used intravenously. Studies using oral colchicine alone are lacking. The purpose of this study is to evaluate in a prospective, double-blind fashion the use of oral colchicine in the treatment of low back pain. Group I patients (15) were treated with a placebo capsule, and Group II (12) patients were treated with a colchicine capsule prescribed in a "burst dose" regimen. Patients were evaluated at 1, 2, 4, 6, and 12 weeks with a mean followup of 12 weeks. Parameters studied included patient characteristics, compliance, the McCoy pain drawings, pain analogue scales, the Million scale and objective tests. In terms of therapeutic response, the study shows no statistically significant difference between oral colchicine and placebo. The colchicine group did have an increased number of side effects.