title: Herbal Medicine for Low Back Pain: A Cochrane Review.
abstract: METHODS
  Systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the effectiveness of herbal medicine for nonspecific low back pain (LBP).
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Many people with chronic LBP use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), visit CAM practitioners, or both. Several herbal medicines have been purported for use in treating people with LBP. This is an update of a Cochrane Review first published in 2006.
  
  
  METHODS
  We searched numerous electronic databases up to September 2014; checked reference lists in review articles, guidelines and retrieved trials; and personally contacted individuals with expertise in this area. We included RCTs examining adults (over 18 years of age) suffering from acute, sub-acute, or chronic nonspecific LBP. The interventions were herbal medicines that we defined as plants used for medicinal purposes in any form. Primary outcome measures were pain and function. Two review authors assessed risk of bias, GRADE criteria (GRADE 2004), and CONSORT compliance and a random subset were compared with assessments by a third individual. Two review authors assessed clinical relevance and resolved any disagreements by consensus.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fourteen RCTs (2050 participants) were included. Capsicum frutescens (cayenne) reduces pain more than placebo. Although Harpagophytum procumbens (devil's claw), Salix alba (white willow bark), Symphytum officinale L. (comfrey), Solidago chilensis (Brazilian arnica), and lavender essential oil also seem to reduce pain more than placebo, evidence for these substances was of moderate quality at best. No significant adverse events were noted within the included trials.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Additional well-designed large trials are needed to test these herbal medicines against standard treatments. In general, the completeness of reporting in these trials was poor. Trialists should refer to the CONSORT statement extension for reporting trials of herbal medicine interventions.
  
  
  METHODS
  N/A.
authors.affiliation: *Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery, Ann Arbor, MI†Epidemiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI‡Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University, Amsterdam, Netherlands§Center for Integrative Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD‖Institute for Work & Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Joel J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Gagnier
authors.forename: Hanna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oltean
authors.forename: Maurits W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: van Tulder
authors.forename: Brian M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Berman
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bombardier
authors.forename: Christopher B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Robbins
mesh_terms: D000700:Analgesics / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods; D012107:Research Design; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D028321:Plant Preparations