Paracetamol for Low Back Pain (PACE)

The primary aim of the project was to assess the effect that paracetamol has on recovery from acute non-specific low back pain. Secondly, the trial determined whether taking a ‘regular dosing’ of paracetamol is more effective in reducing days to recovery then taking an ‘as required’ dosing.

Methods

The study is a double blind placebo controlled trial which recruited 1650 patients with recent onset non-specific low back pain. Participants were randomly allocated to one of three groups to compare ‘regular’ paracetamol to ‘as required’ paracetamol or placebo. Participants were followed for three months to determine the number of days to recovery and the effect of paracetamol on pain, disability, function and sleep quality.