Seven studies containing a total of 509 patients undergoing a first-time lumbar spine surgery were included in this meta-analysis comparing pre-emptive analgesia (n=255) and placebo (n=254) for post-operative pain relief. Pooled outcomes of interest included pain scores, opioid consumption in morphine equivalents, length of stay, and complications. Quantitative analysis results revealed significantly lower pooled pain scores at 24 hours (p=0.002), lower pooled opioid consumption at 24 and 48 hours (p=0.05; p=0.0006, respectively), and shorter pooled length of stay (p=0.04) in the pre-emptive analgesia group compared to the control group. No significant differences in pooled incidence of nausea and vomiting (p=0.63) or urinary retention (p=0.86) were observed between the two groups.