VIDEO: Are Drugs Ineffective For Sciatica?
Pain medication is frequently prescribed for patients with sciatica, but an article in the British Medical Journal reveals that there may little efficacy in this practice. Within the article, researchers reviewed 23 studies that compared placebo pills to various medications for the treatment of sciatica. Study after study, the drugs were found to be no more effective than the placebo pills. Additionally, drugs did not significantly help relieve radiating leg pain, one of the primary symptoms of sciatica. Two drugs helped reduce overall pain, but it was unclear how effective they were in the long-term. These findings led researchers to conclude that there is no clear evidence for demonstrating the efficacy or tolerability of common pain medications prescribed for sciatica.