CALCITONIN TREATMENT IN REFLEX SYMPATHETIC DYSTROPHY - A PRELIMINARY-STUDY

Reflex sympathetic dystrophy is one of the important complications eff ecting the rehabilitation programmes of hemiplegic patients in a negat ive manner by causing pain and function loss, In this study, the aim w as to investigate the effects of salmon calcitonin treatment in reflex sympathetic dystrophy that develops in hemiplegia, Forty-one patients with hemiplegia resulting from cerebrovascular events and stage 1-2 r eflex sympathetic dystrophy were included in the study, Salmon calcito nin, 1x100 IU/day intramuscularly for 4 weeks, was administered to 25 of these patients (calcitonin group); to the other 16 patients physiol ogical saline, 1 ml/day intramuscularly for 4 weeks, was administered (control group), At the end of the fourth week of treatment, the pain score of the calcitonin group was significantly lower than that of the control group, Shoulder abduction and external rotation, wrist flexio n and metacarpophalangeal extension of the calcitonin group were found to be significantly better than those of the control group, In the ca lcitonin group the significant decrease in pain and tenderness resulte d in improvement of range of motion and motor functions.