Denne sammenligner effekten av forskjellige behandlingsformer mot isjas og konkluderer med at f.eks. manipulering, akupunktur og anti-inflammatoriske biologiske midler (renger med dette inkluderer kosttilskudd) er en bedre løsning enn opioider, hvile, treningsterapi, m.m. Den sier også at kirurgi er en god løsning generelt, men ikke for smerte.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24412033

For overall recovery as the outcome, compared with inactive control or conventional care, there was a statistically significant improvement following disc surgery, epidural injections, nonopioid analgesia, manipulation, and acupuncture.

For pain as the outcome, epidural injections and biological agents were significantly better than inactive control, but similar findings for disc surgery were not statistically significant.

The findings support the effectiveness of nonopioid medication, epidural injections, and disc surgery. They also suggest that spinal manipulation, acupuncture, and experimental treatments, such as anti-inflammatory biological agents, may be considered. The findings do not provide support for the effectiveness of opioid analgesia, bed rest, exercise therapy, education/advice (when used alone), percutaneous discectomy, or traction.