Bronx, NY—Naproxen combined with placebo was as effective as the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) combined with oxycodone/acetaminophen or the muscle relaxant cyclobenzaprine in providing emergency pain relief to patients with acute, low back pain, according to a recent study. The research, published recently in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that measures of pain, functional impairment, and use of healthcare resources differed little among the study groups at 7 days or at 3 months after an emergency department visit. Investigators from the Montefiore Medical Center at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and colleagues randomly assigned 323 patients who presented to an ED with nontraumatic, nonradicular lower back pain of 2 weeks’ duration or less to one of the treatment groups. Participants took one or two tablets every 8 hours, as needed for pain, with 500 mg of naproxen taken twice a day. Patients also received a standardized 10-minute educational session about lower back pain prior to discharge.
Published November 13, 2015
