“AskWell” is a section associated with The New York Times, where health questions get answered by journalists and experts. Recently, a reader had asked if Nsaids (such as Ibuprofen) lead to healing or just pain relief. Nsaids are the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications. What the journalist, Gretchen Reynolds, had found while researching the question may surprise you. Scientists are rethinking the cause of the condition most of us athletes associate with the word tendonitis. When biopsies of tendons are taken, little if any signs of inflammation are found. Immune cells one would expect to be present are absent, and genes expected to be turned on are actually off. Tendinopathy is the word being pushed recently to describe the condition, meaning damaged or degenerating.
“This distinction matters, because Nsaids are anti-inflammatory drugs. If tendinopathies involve little inflammation, then anti-inflammatory drugs will provide little relief – though it is possible that Nsaids may blunt pain because they are also potent analgesics.”
This is important because people are taking anti-inflammatory medication for injuries they believe are associated with inflammation, meanwhile inflammation may not be present. However, because Nsaids do provide pain relief in addition to reducing inflammation, it is understandable why people continue to take them. They may associate the pain relief with healing and other positives. This is where it gets interesting. According to her source, prostaglandins which are also involved in pain play a role in collagen synthesis. Collagen synthesis is necessary for tissue healing. Unfortunately, Nsaids inhibit prostaglandins, which inhibit collagin synthesis, potentially slowing down your healing.
In this post, a study was referenced concerning plantar fasciitis. The main findings were that “light” weight training can encourage healing, and this type of light exercise is associated with less pain several months later. All in all, the best possible advice is to visit a physical therapist or medical doctor when you are having pain you know should not be there.
Ask Well: Do Pain Relievers Heal Tendonitis or Just Ease Pain?