Alpha Lipoic Acid and Superoxide Dismutase may Help Low Back Pain

by | Nov 22, 2013 | 2013, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Antioxidants, SOD (superoxide dismutase)

Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. When taken daily, 600 mg of alpha lipoic acid and 140 IU of SOD reduced the number of those who said “I have difficulty getting out of my chair due to back pain” by 94%. 

The cost of treatment for patients with low back pain is a worldwide health problem (1). The cost of all back pain in the United States is $240 billion (2) and low back pain exceeds $100 billion per year, two-thirds of which are a result of lost wages and reduced productivity (3).

While alternative healthcare options like chiropractic are cost-effective (patients with low back pain who sought chiropractic care first had 40% lower health care costs compared to medical care) (4), a new study (5) suggests that alpha lipoic acid and SOD (superoxide dismutase) may be a cost-effective way to help those with low back pain.

The study involved 98 patients between the ages of 62 and 82 and with a current diagnosis of low back pain for an average of four years. They were given 600 milligrams of alpha lipoic acid and 140 international units of superoxide dismutase per day for 60 days (no control group was present). All patients took the two supplements). Throughout the study, patients provided information on their low back pain by completing the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (6).

By the end of 60 days, 96% of the patients completed the study and took the two supplements with no side effects observed. The researchers noted significant improvements were seen with four questions from the disability questionnaire:

  • A 79% decrease in those stating “Because of my back, I have to hold on to something to get out of an easy chair” (38/98 to 8/98, p < 0.05).
  • A 94% decrease in those stating “I find it difficult to get out of a chair because of my back (32/98 to 2/98, p < 0.05).
  • A 92.3% decrease in those stating “I sleep less well because of my back” (77/98 to 6/98, p < 0.05).
  • A 94.4% decrease in those stating “Because of my back, I go upstairs more slowly than usual (45/98 to 3/98, p < 0.05).

In addition, there was a significant decrease in patients taking over-the-counter pain medications for their back pain, also called Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs). Specifically, at the start of the study, 73.5% of patients regularly used NSAIDs for their back pain (72 of 98 patients). By the end of 60 days, only 8.2% of patients were taking NSAIDs for their pain (8 of 98 patients, p < 0.05).

When suggesting how alpha lipoic acid and superoxide dismutase produced such significant improvements in low back pain, the researchers pointed to the ability of alpha lipoic acid to improve both blood circulation and nerve health (7) and the ability of superoxide dismutase to decrease inflammation, a common cause of pain (8).

Although there was no control group to rule out the “Placebo Effect”, the results were quite substantial. The placebo effect occurs because patients believe that every treatment given has a benefit. Researchers concluded that “oral treatment with alpha lipoic acid and superoxide dismutase improved quality of life and functionality and reduces the use of [NSAIDs in patients with low back pain]” and that “allow us to propose this new therapeutic approach in older low back pain patients” but admit that “further clinical trials will be performed in this new direction.”

Source: Battisti, E., et al. “Alpha lipoic acid and superoxide dismutase in the treatment of chronic low back pain.” Eur J Phys Rehabil Med 49.5 (2013): 659-64.

© European Journal of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine

Posted August 20, 2013.

Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY.  You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com.

References:

  1. Dagenais S, Caro J, Haldeman S. A systematic review of low back pain cost of illness studies in the United States and internationally. Spine J. 2008;8:8-20.
  2. Schmidt CO, Schweikert B, Wenig CM, Schmidt U, Gockel U, Freynhagen R, et al. Modelling the prevalence and cost of back pain with neuropathic components in the general population [published online ahead of print February 5, 2009]. Eur J Pain.
  3. Katz JN. Lumbar disc disorders and low-back pain: socioeconomic factors and consequences [review]. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2006;88(suppl 2): 21-24.Battisti E.  Alpha lipoic acid and superoxide dismutase in the treatment of chronic low back pain.  Eur J Phys Rehabil Med 2013 Jul 9. [Epub ahead of print.
  4. Liliedahl RL.  Cost of Care for Common Back Pain Conditions Initiated With Chiropractic Doctor vs. Medical Doctor/Doctor of Osteopathy as First Physician: Experience of One Tennessee-Based General Health Insurer,” Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2010;33(9):640-3. doi: 10.1016/j.jmpt.2010.08.018.
  5. Smeets R.  Measures of function in low back pain/disorders: Low Back Pain Rating Scale (LBPRS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Progressive Isoinertial Lifting Evaluation (PILE), Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale (QBPDS), and Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RDQ). Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2011 Nov;63 Suppl 11:S158-73. doi: 10.1002/acr.20542.
  6. Ziegler D.  Efficacy and safety of antioxidant treatment with α-lipoic acid over 4 years in diabetic polyneuropathy: the NATHAN 1 trial.  Diabetes Care. 2011 Sep;34(9):2054-60. doi: 10.2337/dc11-0503.
  7. Nakajima S.  Oral supplementation with melon superoxide dismutase extract promotes antioxidant defences in the brain and prevents stress-induced impairment of spatial memory. Behav Brain Res. 2009 Jun 8;200(1):15-21.