Ibuprofen and naproxen are both non-steroidal anti-inflammatories and both work on back pain the same way. The difference is strength and duration: ibuprofen 400 mg lasts around four to six hours; naproxen 500 mg lasts eight to twelve, so twice-daily dosing keeps the pain covered overnight. That is why GPs reach for naproxen when shop-strength ibuprofen isn’t holding an episode.
Naproxen is prescription-only. Our pharmacists can now supply it privately for adults with acute lower back pain after a 15-minute consultation — see the back pain service page for what’s involved and when the pharmacy can and can’t help. The same safety rules apply to both drugs: not with stomach ulcers, not with kidney or heart disease, not with blood thinners, and never alongside each other.
Whichever you take, the rest of the plan matters more than the tablet: keep moving, use heat, avoid bed rest, and expect most episodes to settle within two to six weeks. Numbness, weakness, or any change in bladder or bowel control is a same-day emergency, not a pharmacy visit.
If you get period-related back pain, the same naproxen is available through our period pain service. For anything longer than six weeks, or recurring, see your GP for a proper assessment.
15-minute pharmacist consultation, supplied under a Patient Group Direction. Book a time at any of our six branches or walk in.
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