Use of NSAID's like ibuprofen and steroids tied to increased risk of chronic pain
Canada: Using anti-inflammatory drugs is associated with increased risk of persistent pain, indicating that anti-inflammatory treatments might have negative effects on pain duration, says a recent study. However, the researchers say that more research will be needed into a possible link between anti-inflammatory drugs and longer-term problems such as back pain.
"Using drugs such as steroids and ibuprofen to relieve short-term health problems could increase the likelihood of developing chronic pain," Marc Parisien, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada and colleagues wrote in their study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
Based on the findings, it becomes important to reconsider as to how the pain is treated. Inflammation is a body's natural reaction to injury and infection that helps in normal recovery from a painful injury. The new research suggests that blocking inflammation with drugs could lead to harder-to-treat issues.
Inflamamtion has a protective effect, such as preventing acute pain from becoming chronic, and overtly reducing the inflammation may be harmful, the researchers note.
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