Painkillers - no good for back pain?
You may have seen recent articles saying that ibuprofen is not effective for relieving low back pain - similar articles have also been written about paracetamol in the past. So what does this mean for back pain sufferers?
First of all we need to understand what the study was looking at. The study compared the effectiveness of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) against a placebo. It in fact found that NSAIDs did relieve pain, however it did not relieve it a significant amount more than the placebo group. So while around 1 in 6 people will experience a reduction in pain with NSAIDs, some people may find it beneficial to explore other options.
A summary of the study can be found HERE.
At Gillingham Chiropractic we see patients on a daily basis who say the usual over the counter painkillers do not touch their pain, or patients who prefer not to take painkillers; while we are not encouraging you to clear out the medicine cabinet (in fact in some cases we advise the use of painkillers), there are alternatives for those who need/want it.
Drug free alternatives:
TENs machine: this uses an electric current to block pain signals from reaching the brain
Acupuncture/dry needling: a known pain reliever and also good at relaxing painful trigger points in muscles
Spinal manipulation/mobilisation: safe and effective at treating stiff and painful joints
Massage: not only great for treating current pain but can also be used regularly prevent future injuries
Walk: long gone are the days we were told to lie down and do as little as possible with a bad back, keep moving!
Stretch: work a few stretches into your daily routine to keep loose and mobile