Ibuprofen 'barely better than placebo' at treating back pain

Conclusion There was evidence that NSAIDs were effective in reducing pain and disability in patients with spinal pain, but treatment does not seem much more effective than a placebo and is not clinically important according to the researchers. Moreover, for every six patients treated with NSAIDs rather than a placebo, only one additional patient would benefit in the short-term. People taking NSAIDs also have a higher risk of gastrointestinal adverse reactions. Patients might like to consider if this seems like a chance worth taking. NSAIDs are currently recommended to treat back pain, but the authors suggest new, more effective drugs should be urgently developed. The study does have some limitations: The mode of treatment varied from oral intake to applying gel or cream. Some patients may feel better with a direct application compared to an oral drug, but it is difficult to say which is more effective as these were grouped together. The dose also varied between studies and therefore it is difficult to know if NSAIDs were more effective at a higher dose. The treatment period was on average only seven days and therefore it is hard to tell what long-term outcomes would have been if participants had continued to take NSAIDs. The research focused on whether NSAIDs were effective for back pain as a whole, so it's difficult to know whether particular individuals or specific groups of patients might benefit from the treatment more than others. This study was not set up ...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Lifestyle/exercise Medical practice Medication Source Type: news