Ibuprofen has little benefit in treating back pain and may cause harm – study

Anti-inflammatory drugs are not much more effective than placebo and patients taking them 2.5 times more likely to suffer from stomach problems

Widely used anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen have little more benefit than a placebo when it comes to treating back pain, a comprehensive review has found.

Researchers analysed 35 peer-reviewed trials on the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs [NSAIDs] such as ibuprofen for back pain, reviewing data from 6,065 patients.