Could Anti-inflammatory Medication Cause Chronic Pain?

I was hoping to share some important new research with you. This was published in May 2022.

Conventional wisdom tells us that if we have pain it can be managed by various medications. Anti-inflammatory medications are some of the most used medications for injuries such as low back pain. While medications are being scrutinized more in recent years, over the counter medications are still taken liberally by the public. Recent research suggests that the use of anti-inflammatory medications, such as ibuprofen, needs to be done with caution - and not just because of previously suspected side effects like liver and stomach damage.

Recent, peer reviewed research suggests that taking NSAIDs, like Ibuprofen, could possibly lead to pain becoming chronic. This means that pain could become a long term problem. The researchers go on to explain that our immune cells work hard to repair our body when we are injured and these medications hinder those very same repair cells.

The research looked specifically at low back pain - due to how common it is in adults.

More research is needed on the topic to make a final conclusion, but this theory and the research that goes with it seems to be gaining traction in the medical community.

In the meantime, chiropractic treatment offers a safe alternative to manage pain. Chiropractic treatment works with the body to facilitate the immune system to help the body heal on its own by improving the movement in the joints.

See the article here: https://www.mcgill.ca

See the research here: https://www.science.org