Sugar water injection vs. steroids for back pain: which works better?

NCT ID NCT07528794

First seen Apr 23, 2026 · Last updated May 15, 2026 · Updated 6 times

Summary

This study tested if prolotherapy (a sugar-water injection) can ease chronic low back pain caused by arthritis in the facet joints of the spine. Sixty adults aged 40-70 with long-lasting back pain were randomly given either prolotherapy, a steroid shot, or a saltwater placebo. Researchers measured pain and function at 1 and 3 months to see which treatment worked best in the short term.

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • University of Health Sciences, Istanbul Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Training and Research Hospital

    Istanbul, Istanbul, 34186, Turkey (Türkiye)

Conditions

Explore the condition pages connected to this study.