Laughing gas may ease pain during physio for seniors
NCT ID NCT02230007
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested whether a gas called MEOPA (laughing gas) can help elderly people manage pain during physiotherapy for stiff hips or knees. Six patients aged 65 or older received three sessions of physiotherapy with MEOPA or standard care. The goal was to see if the gas improved joint movement and reduced pain, offering a safer alternative to stronger painkillers.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- MEOPA (a gas mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen, also known as laughing gas)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a safer pain relief option for elderly patients during physiotherapy, reducing the need for stronger painkillers.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small, completed Phase 4 trial with only 6 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The gas may cause side effects like dizziness or nausea.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Phase 4
Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.
- Participants
-
6 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Sep 2013
- Finished
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Feb 2015
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
65 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Male or female aged 65 years old or more * Patients having a prescription for physiotherapy * Absence of contraindication to MEOPA * Patients whose initial assessment show a passive articular deficit of at least a joint of hip or the knee and whose painful assessment is ≥ 5 or ≥ 2 during mobilisation on the validated scale Algoplus * Patients whose reeducation project established by the physiotherapist * Patients having agreed to participate in the study and having signed the consent * Subjects affiliated to the social security system Exclusion Criteria: * Patient requiring a ventilation in pure oxygen * Patient with a consciousness deterioration preventing his cooperation * Care under MEOPA during the period of the protocol and during the month which precedes * Increase of the dosage of morphine of less than 48 hours Patient under guardianship
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
CHU de Nice
Nice, France
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Pôle de Gérontologie Hôpital de Cimiez CHU de Nice
Nice, 06000, France
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