Ibuprofen about as beneficial as a placebo when it comes to treating back pain

Lower back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide, according to the American Chiropractic Association. At any given time, about 31 million Americans are dealing with this debilitating condition. It is one of the most common reasons people miss work and is the second most common reason for doctors’ visits. In fact, as much as 80 percent of the population will experience back pain at some point.

And those of us who have suffered with back pain know just how incapacitating it can be. Back pain is perceived to be 20 times worse than pain anywhere else in the body because of how close these muscles are to the spinal cord.

Scientists had already confirmed that paracetamol (commonly known as Tylenol in the U.S.), the most widely used painkiller in the world, is totally ineffective for back pain.

With this in mind, a group of Australian researchers from the University of Sydney and St Vincent’s Hospital & University of New South Wales decided to investigate whether another class of painkillers, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), were effective at treating back pain.

For their study, which was published in the journal, Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, scientists analyzed 35 peer-reviewed trials, including data from 6,065 patients, to investigate the use of NSAIDs such as ibuprofen for the treatment of back pain.

Their findings were that though NSAIDs did have some effect on spinal pain, the difference between the NSAID and placebo groups was so negligible as to be considered not clinically important. In laymen’s terms, they found that NSAIDs were little more effective than placebos for the treatment of back pain.

“These drugs are effective for other conditions but for people with back pain, we believe there is a bigger role for other treatments,” said lead author, Associate Professor Manuela Ferreira of the George Institute for Global Health, affiliated with the University of Sydney.

The researchers’ suggested (an unsurprising) solution.

“At present, there are no simple analgesics that provide clinically important effects for spinal pain over placebo. There is an urgent need to develop new drug therapies for this condition.” [Emphasis added]

Of course, more drugs.

In fact, there are already many natural, non-invasive therapies that have been proven to be effective at treating back pain.

Chiropractic care is one such solution. According to the American Chiropractic Association, the journal, Annals of Internal Medicine, “pointed to chiropractic care as one of the major nonpharmacologic therapies considered effective for acute and chronic low back pain.”

There are several other natural remedies to try, including acupressure, yoga and stretching.

And there is a very effective natural supplement that has proven effective for many people. As reported by Natural News, independent studies found that the African herb, Devil’s Claw, eased back pain at least as well as prescription medication, but without any side effects. The recommended dose for those who want to try this natural solution is 204 grams a day.

Another very surprising solution to back pain is to stay well hydrated. Scientists have found that dehydrated muscles are prone to cramping, leading to pain. Of course, drinking fluoridated, heavy metal infested water is not helpful, so be sure to drink water that has been carefully filtered.

There are actually loads of things that each one of us can do to prevent getting back pain in the first place. Maintain a healthy weight, exercise regularly (focusing on gentle stretching exercises), practice mindfulness to reduce stress, and be sure to stay well hydrated, and you’ll be able to stay well away from Big Pharma’s harmful (and useless) chemical medicine.

After all, prevention is always better than cure.

Sources:

TheGuardian.com

ACAToday.org

ARD.BMJ.com

NaturalNews.com