Loading...
Acetaminophen is recommended as a first-line analgesic for low back pain and pain related to hip and knee osteoarthritis (OA), but evidence supporting this practice is weak. In this meta-analysis of data from 13 randomized trials, researchers assessed the efficacy and safety of acetaminophen (3000–4000 mg daily) versus placebo in 3500 patients with knee or hip OA and in 1800 patients with low back pain.
In patients with low back pain, acetaminophen was no more effective than placebo for pain and disability in the immediate term (≤2 weeks) or for pain, disability, and quality of life in the short term (>2 weeks–3 months). Patients with hip or knee OA who took acetaminophen had less immediate-term pain (mean difference, −3.3 mm on a 0–100 mm v…