Study: Tylenol doesn't help back pain

A surprising new study has found that Tylenol and other brands of acetaminophen may be no more effective than a placebo at treating back pain.

The research, published in the journal The Lancet, studied 1,643 people with lower back pain. The participants were divided into three groups, and each group was given two boxes of pills. The first group received two boxes of acetaminophen, while the second received one box of acetaminophen and one box of "as-needed" placebos, and the third group received two boxes of placebos. Participants were instructed to take six pills daily from the regular box, and up to two from the "as-needed" box.

After three months, researchers found no differences among the three groups. The participants didn't have variation in pain or recovery time. Additionally, 75 percent of the participants reported they were satisfied with their results, including those given the placebos.

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