Medications and Other Treatment Options for Back Pain Sufferers, A Look At Some Recent Research.

What Works, What Doesn't and What Carries Greater Risks to Your Health!

Back Pain is exceptionally common. If you suffer from Back Pain, then you've probably already discovered that many of the standard treatments don't take care of the problem. This post will discuss a few recent studies that shed a new light onto what isn't working for many people and what other treatments have shown great promise.

A recent study published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases that looked at 35 studies of over 6,000 people with back pain
found that 5 out of 6 people taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) do not get a significant reduction in pain. 

The authors state, "Our results show anti-inflammatory drugs actually only provide very limited short term pain relief."

NSAIDS include many common over the counter and prescription medications (aspirin, celebrex, diclofenac, ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), indocin, naproxen (Aleve, Anaprox, Naprelan, Naprosyn), among others). 

Not only does the medication provide negligable relief for most people, but also comes with significant risk of side effects for many.

The authors of the study talk about this…

"When you factor in the side effects which are very common, it becomes clear that these drugs are not the answer to providing pain relief to the many millions who suffer from this debilitating condition (back pain) every year."

The study found patients taking NSAIDS (anti-inflammatories) were 2.5 times more likely to suffer from gastro-intestinal problems such as stomach ulcers.

A systematic review of 65 trials including over 11,000 patient published Jan 23, 2008, looked at the use of NSAID medications for treating lower back pain. 

The article entitled, "Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for low back pain" found that…

"The evidence from the 65 trials included in this review suggests that NSAIDs are effective for short-term symptomatic relief in patients with acute and chronic low-back pain without sciatica. However, effect sizes are small."

The authors go on to talk about the risks of COX-2 inbitors… "Recent studies have shown that COX-2 inhibitors are associated with increased cardiovascular risks in specific patient populations." *COX-2 inhibitors include the medications Vioxx, Celebrix, and Bextra.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18253976

In July 2016, the American Heart Association warned that ibuprofen and other similar drugs may cause or worsen heart failure. 

http://newsroom.heart.org/news/many-drugs-can-cause-or-worsen-heart-failure-cautions-new-statement

Earlier research found paracetamol/tylenol/acetaminophen, another medication commonly used for back pain was ineffective. 

From the study, Efficacy and safety of paracetamol for spinal pain and osteoarthritis: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised placebo controlled trials
BMJ 2015 (Published March 31, 2015)

Conclusions: 

"Paracetamol (tylenol, acetaminophen) is ineffective in the treatment of low back pain and provides minimal short term benefit for people with osteoarthritis. 

These results support the reconsideration of recommendations to use paracetamol for patients with low back pain and osteoarthritis of the hip or knee in clinical practice guidelines." 

http://www.bmj.com/content/350/bmj.h1225

A study from the Journal Lancet (Nov 1, 2014) entitled, "Efficacy of paracetamol for acute low-back pain: a double-blind, randomized controlled trial" looked at the use of paracetamol/acetaminophen/tylenol in the treatment of acute lower back pain. The findings indicate that the medication does not improve recovery.

"Our findings suggest that regular or as needed dosing with paracetamol does not affect recovery time compared with placebo in low-back pain, and question the universal endorsement of paracetamol (acetaminophen, tylenol) in this patient group."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25064594

Tylenol is not without some risk. It can cause many side effects including liver and stomach problems.

Other research has shown that opioids provided minimal benefit for back pain compared to a placebo. 

Other very serious risk factors are associated with opiate use as well, including a real potential for addiction, breathing problems, constipation, drowsiness, and mental confusion.

An article published 27 August 2013, entitled… "Opioids compared to placebo or other treatments for chronic low-back pain" found that… 

"There is some evidence (very low to moderate quality) for short-term efficacy (for both pain and function) of opioids to treat lower back pain (LBP) compared to placebo. 

The very few trials that compared opioids to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or antidepressants did not show any differences regarding pain and function. 

The initiation of a trial of opioids for long-term management should be done with extreme caution, especially after a comprehensive assessment of potential risks. 

There are no placebo-research clinical trials supporting the effectiveness and safety of long-term opioid therapy for treatment of LBP."

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD004959.pub4/full

Back Pain is a massive problem that interferes with so many people's lives.

This article has discussed some published research that calls into question the effectiveness and safety of many commonly prescribed pain relievers and over the counter pain relievers. Of course, medications have a place in pain treatment, but… 

The question that must really be asked: 

Are there other treatment options that have been shown to help or even eliminate Back Pain that are both safe and effective? 

Research suggests that Chiropractic Care definitely fits the bill. 

Chiropractic is safe and effective for helping many back pain sufferers get out of pain.

If you're interested in seeing if Dr. Hagebusch can help take care of your Back Pain, then click here for a Free Initial Back Pain Consultation.

Here are a few of the many studies supporting Chiropractic Care for Back Pain from our blog…

• Spinal Manipulation Proves Safe and As Beneficial As Surgery In Lower Back Disc Herniations With Sciatica (Leg Pain)

• Chiropractic Care Helps Acute Lower Back Pain

• Chiropractic Effective for Chronic Neck Pain and Back Pain

• Chiropractic Provides Faster Relief for Lower Back Related Leg Pain

• Chiropractic Helps Disc Herniations With Nerve Problems (Sciatica)

• Can Chiropractic Help Patients With Disc Herniations?

• Opiate (Narcotic) Pain Relievers, Is There An Alternative?

• Do You Suffer From Disc Related Back Pain?

• Arthritis, The Problem and The Solution

• Chiropractic Beats This Popular Anti-Inflammatory For Those With Back Pain

Dr. Hagebusch has helped thousands of Texarkana residents recover from Back Pain. Read more about treating Back Pain Here.