Ibuprofen can make back pain worse
IBUPROFEN and other anti-inflammatory drugs may actually prolong acute pain, experts have found.
They are often recommended for short-term back pain, which usually improves within a few weeks or months.
But researchers discovered inflammation may, in fact, help prevent severe pain becoming a long-term problem.
A study led by McGill University, Canada, found those who took nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen for low back pain had a 1.76-fold higher risk of developing chronic problems.
Protective
Scientists who monitored 98 sufferers for three months said those whose pain stopped had higher inflammatory responses than patients whose agony persisted. Tests on mice also showed treatment with NSAIDs appeared to prolong their pain.
Finally, data from the UK Biobank uncovered the higher risk of chronic pain in NSAID patients.
Researchers said: “Despite analgesic efficacy at early time points, the management of acute inflammation may be counter-productive for long-term outcomes of lower back pain sufferers.”
Professor Blair Smith, of Dundee University, said more tests were needed, but the study was “excellent science”.
He said: “The theory is that inflammation may have a protective effect in the long-term and that overly reducing inflammation may be harmful.” But he warned NSAIDs were effective in shortterm pain management and “should not be withheld unnecessarily”.
Dr Franziska Denk, of King’s College London, said the data was important but it would be “premature” to make recommendations without more research.
The study findings appeared in the journal Science Translational Medicine.