"Anti-inflammatory Drugs Could Cause Chronic Pain"

"Anti-inflammatory Drugs Could Cause Chronic Pain"

Side Effects of Popular Medicines Discovered: Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Could Cause Chronic Pain

Story by Julie Hambleton

"When you've got a nagging headache or your neck hurts after a wonky night's sleep, what's the first thing you do? For many of us, it's to go to the medicine cabinet for something such as an ibuprofen. Unfortunately, this might not be our best choice. Anti-inflammatory drugs and steroids, commonly used to alleviate pain, could actually increase the chances of developing chronic pain, according to research from McGill University and colleagues in Italy. This discovery puts into question traditional medical practices used to treat pain."

"For many decades it's been standard medical practice to treat pain with anti-inflammatory drugs. But we found that this short-term fix could lead to longer-term problems," says Jeffrey Mogil, a Professor in the Department of Psychology at McGill University and E. P. Taylor Chair in Pain Studies.

"This research suggests that it may be time to reconsider the way we treat acute pain. Pain can be resolved in other ways that don't involve interfering with inflammation. Pain resolution is actually an active biological process, according to Professor Diatchenko. These findings should be followed up by clinical trials directly comparing anti-inflammatory drugs to other painkillers that relieve pain but don't disrupt inflammation."

"While anti-inflammatory drugs and steroids may provide short-term pain relief, they could lead to the development of chronic pain in the long term. This discovery highlights the need to reconsider the use of traditional pain management techniques in the medical field."

Read full article here, https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/side-e...&ei=18