Very little evidence is available to guide analgesic choices by GPs for patients with sciatica, a review by Australian researchers has concluded.
While drugs such as NSAIDs and corticosteroids are frequently prescribed in primary care for patients with back and leg pain and features of lumbosacral radiculopathy, there is little or no evidence to show they are of benefit, say researchers from the George Institute for Global Health at the University of Sydney.
In a review (link) of 23 randomised trials of analgesics for sciatica published in the BMJ, they
found that “the available evidence does not clearly show favourable effects of NSAIDs, corticosteroids, antidepressants, muscle relaxants, and opioid analgesics in the immediate term and provides limited support for...
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