Comment on paracetamol doesn't help chronic back pain: Dr Tim Salomons says we shouldn't dismiss paracetamol and a multi-pronged approach needed to treat chronic pain
Release Date 24 July 2014
Dr Tim Salomons, a pain expert from the University of Reading's School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, recently conducted a published study that showed cognitive behavioural therapy could be used to treat chronic pain.
Commenting on the Lancet study, Dr Salomons said:
"This study highlights the challenge of treating chronic pain. One of society's most trusted pain relief drugs has been shown to not improve recovery times in lower back pain, an extremely prevalent disorder.
"However we should not dismiss paracetamol as an effective reliever of pain. The study examined pain in one particular condition: lower back pain. Other pain conditions have very different mechanisms which paracetamol might target effectively.
"It is vitally important we continuously challenge conventional wisdom about treating pain. Even though paracetamol has a good safety profile, every drug has side effects. If the drug is not doing what it is being prescribed to do, pain patients might be better off without.
"We shouldn't over-rely on any single treatment. Most clinicians would recommend a multi-pronged approach to treating pain. In addition to using medication, physical and psychological therapies can be immensely helpful in treating, and recovering from, painful conditions."