M-A | Limited evidence for analgesic effectiveness in acute low back pain treatment

Summary: The objective of this systematic review and network meta-analysis was to assess the effectiveness and safety of various analgesic medicines for treating acute non-specific low back pain. After examining 98 randomized controlled trials with over 15,000 participants, the study found that the quality of evidence for the effectiveness and safety of these medications is low or very low.

Some analgesic medicines showed potential in reducing pain intensity, but the evidence was limited due to trial risk of bias and imprecision in effect estimates. Furthermore, certain medications might increase the risk of adverse events during treatment, with evidence ranging from moderate to very low confidence.

Given the lack of high-quality evidence, clinicians and patients are advised to be cautious when using analgesic medicines for acute non-specific low back pain. More robust head-to-head comparison trials are needed to provide clearer guidance on the best course of treatment.

Article: Comparative effectiveness and safety of analgesic medicines for adults with acute non-specific low back pain: systematic review and network meta-analysis – The BMJ

News Release: Study finds “considerable uncertainty” around effectiveness and safety of analgesics for low back pain – BMJ Newsroom

Commentary from the author on Twitter (thread – click for more)

Out today in @bmj_latest.

We found “considerable uncertainty” around the effectiveness and safety of analgesic medicines for adults with acute non-specific low back pain.

Available at https://t.co/PeOmEOeJyJ

Thread 🧵 pic.twitter.com/T8YDNGhhME

— Michael Wewege, PhD (@mawewege) March 22, 2023