A single-blind study of naproxen sodium and mefenamic acid in minor trauma

In a single-blind, parallel, randomised trial the efficacies of naproxen sodium and mefenamic acid were compared in the treatment of musculo-skeletal injuries. The daily dosages used were 1100 mg naproxen sodium and 1500 mg mefenamic acid. Patients were assessed before, during and after four days' treatment, with respect to pain, tenderness, swelling and limitation of function of the injured part. Two hundred and eighty-one patients entered the study and 217 were included in the analysis, 106 in the mefenamic acid group and 111 given naproxen sodium. Both groups showed an improvement in symptoms under treatment but there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of any of the measurements of efficacy. There was no significant difference between the numbers of side-effects reported in each group, although more were seen in the naproxen sodium patients. In this study, both drugs were equally effective in relieving the symptoms of musculo-skeletal injuries.