Poll shows Advil, Aleve most popular choice to treat back pain

CHICAGO Half of back pain sufferers reach for Advil or Aleve for relief, according to a poll conducted by Spine-health.com that was released Thursday.

The poll, which ran on www.spine-health.com from March to April 2008, asked 899 consumers which over-the-counter pain reliever they prefer for treating back pain or neck pain. The respondents were offered the choice of several brand name OTC pain relievers, and a write-in option.

Ibuprofen in general (Advil, Motrin and Nuprin combined) accounted for 39 percent of the responses. More than 25 percent of the respondents said Advil (ibuprofen) is their first choice for OTC pain relief, while 24 percent selected Aleve (naproxen). Tylenol (acetaminophen) was chosen by 11 percent, and aspirin was selected by 5 percent. “Other” accounted for 15 percent and responses ranged from various prescription drugs to no alternative specified.

“NSAIDs, like ibuprofen, are most often recommended for treating activity-related pain or discomfort—pain that follows sports, housework, shoveling snow, or other exertion—pain related to muscle strain in the low back, and neck stiffness related to muscle, ligament or tendon strains or damage,” stated Dr. Stephen Hochschuler, an orthopedic spine surgeon at Texas Back Institute and a medical advisor for Spine-health.com.