[Therapeutic effects of calcitonin on back pain in the patients with osteoporosis].

A prospective study was performed to clarify the therapeutic effect on calcitonin in the patients with osteoporosis using patient-based outcome measures. A total of 67 patients with primary osteoporosis who complained back pain were included in this study. All patients were administered calcitonin 20 Unit/week intramuscularly. The therapeutic effects were assessed using various patient-based outcome measures before treatment, 2, 4 weeks and 3 months after treatment. We used Short form 12 for measuring general well-being, Roland Morris disability questionnaire for functional status associated with back pain, and visual analogue scale for pain intensity. Statistic analysis was performed using paired-t test. Pain intensity and functional status were significantly recovered at 2 weeks follow-up time and the effects were continued at 3 months follow-up time. Physical component summary (PCS) was recovered at 3 months follow-up tme, whereas mental component summary (MCS) was improved at 2 weeks follow-up time. These facts suggest that improvement of back pain using calcitonin correlates directly with recovery in functional status, indirectly with recovery in general well being.