Over-the-Counter Drugs Used to Treat Back Pain

If you've sustained a low-level injury to your back (straining or twisting it, for example), then your first call doesn't always need to be the doctor. Most people can manage common back injuries with over-the-counter drugs, and physiotherapy products such as orthotics and braces. Over-the-counter drugs for back pain are divided into two categories: those that help block pain signals in the brain (acetaminophen and its variants), and those that are anti-inflammatory (ibuprofen). If you're experiencing back pain and haven't had a serious injury, here are the types of over-the-counter drugs that will be most useful for you.

Acetaminophen drugs

Acetaminophen is an analgesic. It inhibits the production of cyclooxygenase, an enzyme which helps the brain produce prostoglandins. Prostoglandins mediate pain, fever and inflammation. In their inflammation-reducing capacity, they are somewhat similar to the other over-the-counter drugs you can take for back pain, NSAIDs.

You can take acetaminophen even if you are on blood thinning drugs such as Warfarin -- unlike aspirin, acetaminophen does not act to stop the blood clotting. If you are on any medication, though, let your pharmacist know in case there are potential interactions you need to know about.

If you have strong back pain, beware of acetaminophen toxicity. Even if you take different brand names, an overdose can still cause significant liver damage. This risk is increased if you drink alcohol while using acetaminophen. There are several different brand names of acetaminophen for back pain (Anacin 3, FeverAll, Datril, Panadol, and the best-known one, Tylenol).

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

These are a non-narcotic form of pain-relief drug that you can get over the counter for back pain. They are safe to use in conjunction with acetaminophen, but remember to respect individual dosage limits for each drug.

Anything with the active ingredient ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac or licofelone is a common non-steroidal anti-inflammatory. These work as acetaminophen does, by inhibiting cyclooxygenase, but typically different isoenzymes are inhibited.

Short-term pain relief is a must for back pain -- but you definitely need to address the underlying causes of the problem in order to prevent it from getting worse.