Why Over-the-Counter Pills Often Fall Short for Low Back Pain

If you’ve ever reached for ibuprofen or acetaminophen to tame low back pain, you’re not alone—but you may not be getting the relief you’re hoping for.

💊 Pills Aren’t the Answer

Acetaminophen (like Tylenol®) is one of the most commonly used over-the-counter pain relievers. But large-scale research — including a major randomized trial published in The Lancet — has shown that it simply doesn’t work for acute low back pain. Even when taken as directed, there was no significant improvement in pain or recovery compared to placebo (Williams et al., 2014).

And while NSAIDs (like ibuprofen) may offer slightly more relief, a Cochrane review analyzing over 6,000 patients found that the benefits were modest at best — often not even enough to be considered meaningful in everyday life (Enthoven et al., 2016). Some researchers suggest that suppressing early inflammation might even interfere with long-term healing.

🦴 Why? Because Most Low Back Pain Is Mechanical

The truth is, most low back pain isn’t caused by something chemical — it’s caused by something mechanical. That means the most effective solution often isn’t a pill, but a hands-on, physical approach that addresses the underlying cause.

🙌 Chiropractic care targets the true source of the problem

When people with ongoing low back pain visit a chiropractor, the outcomes are often much better than traditional medical care. In one study from UCLA, over half of chiropractic patients said their pain was “better” or “much better” after just one month — while nearly one-third of patients treated by medical doctors actually felt worse (Haas et al., 2004). Another study published in Spine found that 94% of patients who received spinal manipulation saw at least a 30% reduction in pain, compared to just 69% of those receiving standard care (Schneider et al., 2015).

📋 Even National Guidelines Now Recommend Conservative Care

Medical organizations are changing their stance. The American College of Physicians (ACP) now recommends non-drug therapies first — including spinal manipulation — for acute, subacute, and chronic low back pain (Qaseem et al., 2017). Federal agencies like the CDC and FDA echo this approach, encouraging non-drug therapies (including chiropractic care) before reaching for a prescription pad.

Ready to Get to the Root of Your Pain?

If you’ve been relying on pills that aren’t helping, it might be time to try something different. Chiropractic care can help address the mechanical imbalances that cause pain — without masking symptoms or delaying healing.