Often times when working with a patient with back pain, a doctor recommends a certain dosage of acetaminophen to reduce swelling and develop pain management. A new study done by Australian researchers, however, suggests that acetaminophen may not be the best thing to reach for in cases of lower back pain.
According to Philly.com, 1,600 people were given either a dummy pill or a dose of acetaminophen. Surprisingly, the medication seemed to show no effect in easing discomfort associated with lower back pain.
Fox News reports that despite what group the individuals were in, almost 85% of the patients were pain-free three months after the study began. In each group, it took participants about the same amount of time to become pain-free; around seventeen days. The pain scores cross all the groups were also consistent with one another.
Because this is the first study of its kind in regards to the medication, researchers warn that the results should be taken with a grain of salt. Dr. Michael Mizhiritsky, who is a physical rehabilitation specialist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, expressed concern that he would not stop recommending the medication to his patients based on one study.