Antibiotic Treatment to Patients With Low Back Pain

A large proportion of patients with Low Back Pain (LBP) (80 %) are classified as "non-specific", due to the lack of a patho-anatomical diagnosis. This term is not satisfactory, since it implies uncertainty for both the patient and the clinician. Modic changes have recently been identified as a pain giving patho-anatomical diagnosis for a considerable percentage (20-30 %) of LBP patients. The causes of these Modic changes have not been determined conclusively but bacterial infection is among the plausible causes for those following a disc herniation. Purpose The aim of this study is to assess the clinical effect of antibiotic treatment compared to placebo, in patients with LBP and Modic changes following a lumbar herniated disc. Design A double blind prospective clinically controlled trial. Patients will be randomized by a blinded observer to either Group A: 1 antibiotic tablet 45 patients Group B: 1 placebo tablet 36 patients Group C: 2 antibiotic tablets 45 patients Group D: 2 placebo tablets 36 patients The patients will take the drug three times a day for 100 days.