I have taken celebrex with good results, for a herniated disc. It stops the spasming faster than ibuprophen.

Speaking only for myself here, when I'm having a full blown spell with my back, I hardly give a hoot whether the med I'm taking carries a minute possibility of ill effect. The pain is so bad that all I can focus on is short-term relief. My risk profile is fairly low, and back spells have become infrequent, thank Goodness!