Back pain trial to test paracetamol power
Just a tiny fraction of people with back pain are receiving the right treatment according to the George Institute for Global Health in Sydney.
A study of 570 Australians with back pain has shown that only 45% of people took paracetamol, which is widely recommended as the best initial treatment for new episodes of back pain.
Of these 45%, less than one in five (18%) are taking the correct dosage of paracetamol. At any one time one in four Australians experience back pain, costing the economy in excess of $1 billion every year.
To help combat the back pain epidemic, The George Institute is calling for people with back pain living in Sydney to join a new clinical trial called PACE.
The trial aims to improve the treatment of back pain and to find out if a new formulation of paracetamol speeds up recovery for people that have recently developed back pain.
