Back pain is the worst. Anyone who has experienced the excruciating throbbing and aching—combined with sheer terror at the prospect of moving the wrong way to exacerbate it—knows what we’re talking about. It’s debilitating, and you’ll do just about anything to make it stop, or at least make it a little better.New science has narrowed the “anything” field a bit, proving that acetaminophen, the main ingredient in Tylenol and Midol, is basically ineffective at quelling lower back pain. Historically, it’s been prescribed as a first line intervention, but a July 2014 Lancet study has found that acetaminophen is no better than a placebo.The researchers recommend trying non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, commonly called NSAIDs, which offer both pain-killing and anti-inflammatory effects, instead. Effective NSAIDs include aspirin (Bayer, Bufferin), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve, Anaprox).The study itself looked at nearly 1,650 patients with lower back pain in Sydney, Australia. They either recieved daily acetaminophen doses, as-needed acetaminophen doses, or a placebo. The same proportion of people in each group (about 85 percent) had recovered within three months, and the time it took to feel better was nearly identical for treatment and placebo—about 17 days. The groups also did not differ in the amount of pain and function they experienced during their recovery period.Bottom line: The next time your lower back is killing you, reach for a NSAID and leave the acetaminophen on the shelf.And, try these amazingly effective moves for relieving back pain!

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