Health Science News: Treating Acute Pain with Anti-inflammatory Drug May Lead to Chronic Pain Later

Описание: A recent study in human show that treating acute low back pain (LBP) with anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and diclofenac could lead to chronic LBP later. The study involved three groups of patients: 1) patients with LBP: expression of genes were analyzed in blood cells during onset of acute LBP and again three months after the acute onset. After three months, LBP persisted in some patients and resolved in the others. Analysis of gene expression showed differences in acute, persisted, and resolved patients suggesting outcome-dependent differences in molecular mechanisms. Analysis further showed that patients with resolved pain had robust anti-inflammatory response during acute pain phase. 2) Similar differences in gene expression were also observed in a separate group of patients with pain in jaw joints (temporomandibular joint). 3) Another group of patients with LBP and use of analgesics during acute pain was also studied. It was observed that those patients who used anti-inflammatory analgesics such as ibuprofen and diclofenac during acute pain developed chronic pain later. In contrast, patients who used analgesics without anti-inflammatory effects such as acetaminophen did not develop chronic pain.
Although the study is an important step forward with respect to use of anti-inflammatory for acute pain management, it has some limitations - 1) in the first study, there were no patients without LBP for comparing gene expression data, 2) the study was limited to two time points - at day 0 and at 3 months. The patients were not followed within or beyond three months, and 3) in the third study, key details such as pain intensity and dose of anti-inflammatory medicine were not available.
While the study may call for caution in using anti-inflammatory drugs for acute pain management, further studies including clinical trials are required for better understanding of the link between use of anti-inflammatory drugs and chronic pain and before any change in current treatment plans.

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Further reading:
1. https://www.mcgill.ca/newsroom/channe...
2. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/s...
3. https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/health-info...
Disclaimer: This video is for information only and is not a medical advice. Please consult your doctor before making any health-related decision.