Analgesics may be no better than placebo for managing acute lower back pain in adults, according to Australian and UK researchers who found only low-certainty evidence to support their use.

In their meta-analysis of 98 clinical trials, the UNSW Sydney-led team urged clinicians and patients to exercise caution when using painkillers in this setting until more conclusive evidence comes to light.

“Despite nearly 60 years of research involving more than 15,000 patients, high quality evidence to guide clinical decisions on analgesic medicines for acute non-specific low back pain remains limited,” they wrote in the BMJ.

“Our review of analgesic medicines for acute nonspecific low back pain found considerable uncertainty
around effects for pain intensity and safety.”