For many years, people have relied on anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen and steroids to relieve pain from injuries and illnesses. Doctors have often recommended these medications as a quick and effective way to reduce pain and get back to normal life.
But a new study from McGill University suggests that this common practice might actually cause more harm than good in the long run. Surprisingly, the study found that blocking inflammation with these drugs could increase the chances of developing chronic pain that lasts for months or even years.
The idea seems strange at first because inflammation is often seen as something bad. It’s the redness, swelling, and pain that come after an injury, like twisting an ankle or pulling a muscle. People usually want to get rid of these symptoms as quickly as possible, which is why anti-inflammatory drugs are so popular.
However, the study reveals that inflammation might actually be a crucial part of healing. It turns out that the body uses inflammation as a way to start the recovery process. When this natural response is blocked, the healing process can be interrupted, leading to longer-lasting pain.
The researchers studied both humans and mice to understand how pain develops and lingers. They discovered that a certain type of white blood cell, called neutrophils, plays a major role in resolving pain.
Neutrophils are part of the body’s immune system and help fight infections and heal injuries. When these cells were blocked in mice, the pain lasted up to ten times longer than usual. This was a big clue that neutrophils are necessary for pain to fade away naturally.
To explore this further, the scientists tested common anti-inflammatory drugs like dexamethasone and diclofenac on mice. These medications are known for quickly reducing pain and swelling.
At first, the drugs seemed to work well, and the mice showed less pain. But after some time, the pain returned and became even worse. It lingered much longer than it did for mice that had not been given the drugs. This was a surprising discovery because these medications are widely used to manage pain.
To back up their findings, the researchers also looked at medical records from 500,000 people in the United Kingdom. They found that those who regularly used anti-inflammatory drugs for pain relief were more likely to experience long-term pain two to ten years later.
People who used other types of painkillers, like acetaminophen (Tylenol) or certain antidepressants, did not have the same risk. This suggested that blocking inflammation with these specific drugs might be a major reason why some people end up with chronic pain.
This new understanding of pain challenges the way doctors and patients think about pain management. The researchers now believe that inflammation should not always be stopped right away. Instead, it might be better to let the body heal naturally.
This doesn’t mean that pain should be ignored. There are still many ways to manage pain without shutting down the body’s healing process. For example, physical therapy, acupuncture, and certain mind-body techniques like yoga and meditation can help relieve pain while still allowing the body to heal.
Physical therapy can strengthen muscles, improve flexibility, and increase the range of motion, which can reduce pain over time. Acupuncture, an ancient Chinese practice, involves placing tiny needles at specific points in the body to help with pain and relaxation. Mind-body techniques like yoga and deep breathing can also reduce stress and anxiety, which often make pain feel worse.
Another method is Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS), which uses a small device to send electrical impulses through the skin to block pain signals. Simple heat and cold therapy can also be helpful—applying heat can relax muscles, while ice can reduce swelling and numb sharp pain.
The researchers from McGill University hope that their findings will lead to new clinical trials that directly compare anti-inflammatory drugs to these other methods of pain relief.
They believe that it’s time to rethink the standard approach to treating pain. The goal is to find ways to relieve pain without disrupting the body’s natural healing process. This could help prevent short-term pain from turning into a long-term problem.
The study was published in the scientific journal Science Translational Medicine, and the research was led by Jeffrey Mogil and his team. Their work opens the door to exploring safer and more effective ways to manage pain.
In the future, doctors might consider new strategies that allow the body to heal while still providing relief, reducing the risk of chronic pain for millions of people worldwide.
If you care about pain, please read studies about how to manage gout with a low-purine diet, and a guide to eating right for arthritis.
For more health information, please see recent studies about the link between processed foods and chronic diseases, and avoid these 8 foods to ease arthritis pain.
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