The external application of shungite paste "Shungirim" in patients with spinal osteochondrosis

            By far it is known FSC to have the following effects: antibacterial (Krutous, 2002; Hadarcev, 2002; Hadarcev etc., 2005), antiviral (Hadarcev etc., 2005), immunostimulant in the absence of stimulation of Ig E response (Hadarcev etc., 2005), anticancer (Hadarcev etc., 2005), anti-inflammatory/ antioxidant (Krutous, 2002; Hadarcev, 2002), antihistamines (hadar, 2002), protection against ionizing and non-ionizing radiation (Subbotin etc., 2003).

            The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of shungite paste “Shungirim" when applied externally in patients with spinal osteochondrosis.

            The study was conducted at the sanatorium "Beautiful" in the Belgorod region.

            The study included 277 patients (164 women and 113 men) with proved osteochondrosis, average disease duration for 11.2 years, average age of 42, 7 years; of which 112 people formed the main group where the treatment of osteoarthrosis was performed by the use of shungite applications on the spine; 96 people got the ozocerite treatment (8 treatments) and 69 people had the combined physical therapy (hyporeflexia+ laser therapy + coniferous-sea baths 8 treatments per person).

            The control group consisted of patients suffering from the disease but not receiving physical therapy due to the presence of contraindications (neoplastic diseases in anamnesis).

            The polysegmental process took place in 225 (81,2%) patient cases, cervical osteochondrosis in 12 (4,3%), thoracic in 21 (7,5%), lumbar in 19 (6.8 per cent). The diagnosis of osteoarthrosis  was confirmed radiographically in 157 cases (56.6 per cent) and with the help of magnetic resonance imaging in 56 cases (20.2 per cent) at out-patient stage. The structural analysis showed approximately equal correlation between the studied groups of patients with different severity of the disease. According to testimony in the sanatorium was performed the densitometry. Osteopenia was diagnosed in 43 cases (15.5 percent), and osteoporosis in 14 cases (5.0 per cent) of patients.

            The efficiency of the applied shungite paste was evaluated according to dynamics of clinical syndromes encountered in the clinic, precisely: 123 cases (44,4%) of reflex osteochondrosis, 75 (27,0 %) of compression-radicular one,  compression 79 (28,5 %) of vegetative-vascular one, and 277 (100) according to the visual analogue scale (VAS) of pain osteochondrosis. In 164 (59.2 per cent) cases there is a combination of reflex and compression vegetative-vascular syndromes.

            Attention was drawn to the possibility of side effects from treatment schungite paste.

            Shungite paste was applied in smooth thin layer on the area of the spine (the polyethylene was imposed atop of the layer) for 2-3 hours, in a day, 5-6 applications per course. It should be noted that no other treatments during the period of the use of paste was not received by patients.

            The statistical analysis included obtaining of descriptive data such as the average and standard divergence, confidence intervals. The comparative analysis was conducted by applying Student t-test number (Kashin, 1994).

Treatment results and their discussion.

            It was revealed during the comparative analysis that the severity of pain in patients with degenerative disc disease was significantly decreased (look in the table) assessed by VAS (6,1±0,344,2±0,37)after the first application of shungite paste, while there were no such results from Ozocerite treatment (5,9±0,31-5,3±0,33) and combination therapy (6,2±0,33 -5,7±0,36). The significant reduction of pain(6,1±0,34-1,4±0,14; 5,9±0,312,2±0,18; 6,2±0,33-2,7±0,19) was shown in all the 3 treatment groups by the end of the treatment course. However, this reduction was more pronounced in the group of patients treated with shungite and differed from the other two treatment groups(1,4±0,14/ 2,2±0,18-2,5±0,19), no difference was found between them in regard of VAS indicator (2,2±0,18/ 2,5±0,19).

Table

            The efficiency of degenerative disc disease treatment evaluated by VAS, depending on the elected method of therapy:

Note: an Asterisk at the top conveys the difference between the according VAS indicators before and after treatment (R < 0,05) inside the groups to be reliable, as well as concerning VAS indicators for patients with degenerative disc disease after first schungite application and at the end of it and VAS indicators for patients who have received other types of physiotherapy treatment.

            Thus, the use of shungite paste in osteochondrosis of the spine is a safe and effective method, which is characterized by earlier and more severe onset of clinical effect compared to ozocerite treatment and combined therapy.                        The positive dynamics of pain syndrome was correlated with a decrease in muscle rigidity and the severity of the symptoms of tension

and vegetative-vascular manifestations in skin innervation of the affected segments in the three treatment groups.

            The reliable clinical improvement was not revealed (3,6±0,17-3,3±0.19) in the control group. No side effects resulted from application of shungite paste have been recorded during the treatment.

            The dynamic observation of this group of patients at the out-patient stage will allow to

make a conclusion about the long-term results of the treatment.

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