Ouch, that aching back! Perhaps it’s from sitting too long, picking up a heavy object, a sudden slip or fall, or an aging spine, sudden pain in the lower back is a common complaint.

The leading cause of years lived with disability is low back pain. 4, Global Burden of Disease Study. When low back pain lasts for three months or more, it’s called chronic and can be treated with over-the-counter pain medication. A new study attempts to find out which type of pain med is most effective. 18 randomized clinical trials focused on lower back pain that lasted no more than 12 weeks were found by researchers.

There are many types of drugs, including aspirin, tylenol, Paracetamol and Panadol, which were looked at in the study.

Ibuprofen, naproxen, and celecoxib are not available over the counter.
Muscle relaxers are not available without a prescription.

A combination of an NSAID and a prescription muscle relaxer was found to be the best medication for acute lower back pain.

The study only applies to lower back pain that isn’t ongoing and chronic. The department of orthopedic, trauma, and reconstructive surgery is headed by Filippo Migliorini.

Before any such intervention is recommended, the physician should be sure to rule out any possible specific cause of pain that may require specific actions or diagnostics, for example, a history of cancer or recent trauma, according to Migliorini and his coauthors.