Taking NSAIDS for back pain?

Are you taking NSAIDS (Diclofenac) for low back pain?         Read this!!!

Here is a study comparing spinal manipulation -vs- Diclofenac for low acute nonspecific low back pain.  Which was the best??

Spinal Manipulation, by a country mile!

I will summarize for you and add a link to the abstract if you want to have a look at it.

• 101 people with acute low back pain
• 37 did manipulation
• 38 did diclofenac
• 25 no active treatment (placebo)

Results:

Manipulation group       19 – complete relief

                                               10 – improved

                                               6 – no change

                                               0 – deteriorated

Diclo group       8 – complete relief

                                              13 – improved

                                              9 – no change

                                              7 – deteriorated 

In short manipulation was clinically superior to placebo and significantly better than NSAIDs!

Side note – it is interesting that the manipulations were not performed by chiropractors – who by far have the most training, technique, and experience with manipulation. It is likely the results would have been even better for the manipulation group had it been chiros.

Study title – Spinal high-velocity low amplitude manipulation in acute nonspecific low back pain: a double-blinded randomized controlled trial in comparison with diclofenac and placebo.

Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2013 Apr 1;38(7):540-8. doi: 10.1097/BRS.0b013e318275d09c.