Evidence shows interfering with the inflammation process now can create problems later on.
You went jogging yesterday for the first time in months and twisted your ankle. It’s fine but it’s swollen and throbbing as you try to get through the day. You slept funny and your neck is so stiff, it hurts to turn your head to the right. Or, maybe you cut your hand prepping dinner, required stitches, and the healing process is causing your hand to hurt.
Taking a common anti inflammatory to reduce your temporary pain is common practice for many people. In the moment, it can make you feel better. A new study done in Canada, however, has shown that taking these over-the-counter drugs could actually lead to more pain over time.
How so? Researchers from McGill University found using anti inflammatories can lead to long term problems like the creation of chronic pain that never goes away. Here’s how the study went.
It may be dangerous to interfere with inflammation
Researchers from McGill partnered with scientists from Italy and found it’s normal to experience inflammation when recovering from a painful injury. Taking medication to treat it produces different results, however.
In the study, people who took painkillers like acetaminophen were less likely to experience long term, chronic pain compared with those who took anti inflammatory medications. People who took anti-inflammatory drugs like diclofenac, ibuprofen, and naproxen to treat their wound or injury were more likely to experience pain anywhere from two to 10 years down the road.
The problem seems to lie in the role of certain cells that help with healing. It was found that certain blood cells called “neutrophils” play an important role in healing your body. These blood cells dominate the healing process right after an injury so your body can repair its damaged tissue properly. If you stop the inflammation in your body, these cells can’t do their job properly.
Related: Men and Women Remember Pain Differently: Study
“Inflammation occurs for a reason, and it looks like it’s dangerous to interfere with it,” said Jeffrey Mogil, the study’s author, who is a professor of psychology at McGill University.
It could prolong your pain
Researchers found that pain in mice was prolonged up to an astounding ten times longer than normal when neutrophils were blocked and prevented from doing their job.
In humans, scientists looked at blood cells in 98 patients living with acute lower back pain and examined them for key markers of inflammation. It was found that people whose pain had gone away in the study had more inflammation at the beginning, during the first phase of their injury. When they were examined three months later, their blood cells showed evidence of a change in gene expression.
In essence, people who had their pain go away over time actually experienced an active change in the way their genes were expressed. Taking an anti inflammatory when hurt, however, impeded this process.
Alternative ways to deal with pain (how to soothe pain without pills)
So, what should you do instead? The minds at Harvard Health have a few recommendations. They suggest taking warm baths and applying cold packs when injured. Exercise can also go a long way in helping to increase the circulation of blood in your body and consequently loosen up those areas that are getting too stiff. The following can also help:
- physical therapy
- weight loss for arthritis
- topical therapies like Voltaren
- massage
- joint-supporting splints
- acupuncture
Always talk to your doctor about your pain, what is causing it, and how you should treat it. Treat your pain safely and effectively for quality healing.
For more on alternative pain management, click here.
photo credits: lzf/Shutterstock.com
