Bacterial discitis debunked? New trial finds antibiotics don’t help low back pain

A trial has dashed hopes that antibiotics may benefit a subgroup of patients with chronic low back pain and Modic changes due to presumed bacterial discitis. In 2013 Danish researchers found that 100 days of amoxicillin–clavulanate treatment relieved chronic back pain symptoms in patients with disc herniation. They hypothesised that the antibiotic was effective because ...