Effective postoperative pain control by preoperative injection of diclofenac.

We have treated ninety-five patients undergoing surgical removal of third molar with diclofenac or placebo, administered double-blind either pre- or postoperatively. Postoperative pain was recorded hourly for the first 8 h using a 100 mm visual analogue scale. Preoperative administration of diclofenac produced more effective pain relief than either postoperative administration or placebo. Since diclofenac has an inhibitory action on prostaglandin synthesis prophylactic intramuscular administration may have reduced the inflammatory process before synthesis of prostaglandins was activated.