Ibuprofen or Paracetamol: which is more effective in relieving back pain?

Before the appearance of pain or discomfort, it is recurrent to see how many people go to the home medicine cabinet in search of a self-medicated remedy. The most common, resort to Paracetamol or Ibuprofen, depending on the type of pain experienced.

A review of studies, published in the journal , has tried to determine which drug or drugs are most effective in relieving back pain.

“Most older people experience neck or lower back pain at some point, bothersome enough to see their doctor. Our findings provide a useful medication guide for doctors to use for spinal pain in a older population who may have a complex medical history,” said review author Michael Perloff, an assistant professor of neurology at Boston University School of Medicine.

Thus, Perloff and his team have determined that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as ibuprofen) are more effective for pain related to the spine, although acetaminophen is also safe in older adults.

Other medications

The review, aimed at specialists rather than the general public, has also analyzed the role of other medications, such as antidepressants, painkillers or muscle relaxants.

Medications for nerve pain (such as gabapentin and pregabalin) may be used in older people, with caution regarding dosage and kidney function, as they may cause dizziness or difficulty walking, but may have some benefit for nerve pain. nerves in the neck and back (such as sciatica) in older adults.

The newer antidepressants (such as duloxetine) may help more than the older ones (nortriptyline) for spinal-related pain, paying attention to possible sedation and dizziness.

Some muscle relaxants, such as carisoprodol, chlorzoxazone, cyclobenzaprine, metaxalone, methocarbamol, and orphenadrine, should be avoided in older adults due to the risk of sedation and falls. Others (tizanidine, baclofen, dantrolene) may be helpful for neck and back pain, with more evidence for tizanidine and baclofen. These should be used in reduced doses, avoiding tizanidine with liver disease and reducing the dose of baclofen with kidney disease.