Arthritis Drug No Help for Back Pain

People with chronic back pain are willing to do just about anything for relief. Before they sign up for surgery some undergo spinal injections of corticosteroids. Sciatica, pain in the back and leg caused by a pinched nerve, is notoriously difficult to treat with drugs. A new study involving 81 patients with sciatica compared spinal shots with the steroid methylprednisolone to saline or the arthritis drug etanercept, known by the brand name Enbrel. The steroid injections offered slightly better pain relief at one month than the salt water injections and both were better than Enbrel.

[Annals of Internal Medicine, online April 16, 2012]