Anti inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen may cause more damage than practical help. Over the years, many people have relied on drugs such as ibuprofen to help fight inflammation However, a new study suggests that these drugs may cause pain to last longer
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When many of us sprain our ankles, have headaches or muscle strains, it's easy to reach for the nearest bottle of ibuprofen. In fact, many doctors often prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs in these cases. However, a new study points out that taking these drugs may cause more harm than benefits.
The researchers' paper published in Science Translational Medicine shows that non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can hinder the healing of the body. In the end, because the body cannot fully heal, the pain felt has never been completely eliminated. Therefore, it may instead lead to chronic pain.
This is an intriguing hypothesis and is clearly not the first time such drugs have been reviewed. But the new study actually brings evidence that anti-inflammatory drugs may not be as helpful as many people previously thought.
To begin the study, the researchers first collected blood samples from 98 patients in Italy. Each patient sought treatment for acute lower back pain. The scientists then tracked any changes in the patient's gene expression over a three-month period. They found that some patients developed chronic lower back pain, while others did not.
Patients without chronic pain saw a rapid rise in their basic immune process. Before long, the immune system narrows things down and returns them to normal. However, for those patients with chronic pain, most of the same genes are still inert. The researchers believe that anti-inflammatory drugs may hinder healing in some way.
With this in mind, the researchers believe that a short but intense inflammatory response time will accelerate healing and solve the pain problem. From here on, the researchers tested their hypothesis on a group of injured mice. They gave one group anti-inflammatory drugs and the other group normal saline as a placebo.
The results were surprising, to say the least. Mice receiving anti-inflammatory drugs and steroids experienced stronger pain relief. However, their pain as a whole takes longer to resolve. However, mice receiving normal saline healed faster. They say the difference is months, not weeks.
In addition, they also studied the British biological bank. In patient records, they found that people who took anti-inflammatory drugs were 76% more likely to suffer from chronic pain than those who took painkillers that did not reduce inflammation.
Of course, findings in mice do not always translate fully into the same tests in humans. In addition, the researchers studied only lower back pain in this example. However, they have planned some clinical trials to try to learn more about this possibility. But for now, choosing not to take ibuprofen may not be a bad idea the next time you have back pain.