Ask a Doctor Online Now A Doctor Will Answer in Minutes! Questions Answered Every 9 Seconds.
Bodybuilding books & DVDs Buy muscle and strength training guides for building size & power!
Get Your Story Published Find the right publisher now in 3 easy steps. Get published today!
It seems logical, and is something we have been brainwashed into thinking is the correct course of action - you feel a little twinge in your joints after a hard workout, throw on some ice and pop a few Advil. Sound familiar? We've all done it, and the TV and our doctors say it's really all we can do to recover with a little less pain.
A brief and simple lesson in how NSAIDs work. First off, NSAID stands for Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs. They act as non-selective inhibitors of the enzyme cyclooxygenase, which drives the normal inflammatory process in our bodies. The claimed benefit of this class of drugs is to reduce the inflammatory process following injury - which it does quite well - and to decrease pain, which is one of the side-effects of inflammation - which is currently equivocal in the research community, and has been shown in recent research to actually increase our sensitivity to painful stimuli. However, evolving research is showing that stopping the natural inflammatory process also stops healing - not such a good side-effect.
Inflammation is good - say what? Yes, when not chronic, inflammation following soft-tissue injury is a good thing - no, a great thing. It's one of the key steps in the healing process. Inflammation triggers a cascade of complex events that rid the body of damaged tissue, and ultimately replace it with new stuff. This is how torn muscles heal, and broken bones mend.
The claimed benefits of NSAIDs are well known, but like all good things the logical mind in all of us should ask what the catch is. Well, the catch just happens to be the main effect of this class of drugs - they inhibit inflammation. So what impact, if any, does inhibiting the natural inflammatory process have on soft-tissue healing? Thankfully, researchers are beginning to ask this same question and develop studies on the subject, the results of which are quite interesting and have important implications on your health.
Cohen, D.B et al conducted a study to determine if NSAIDs impair rotator cuff tendon-to-bone healing. The experiment was performed using animal subjects who underwent rotator cuff repair who were then administered NSAIDs plus their regular food, or their regular food alone. The results demonstrated that the group treated with NSAIDs experienced marked deficiencies in tissue healing. Specifically, 8% of tendons in the NSAID group completely failed to heal, with significant decreases in tensile strength and collagen organization in the remainder - meaning weaker tissue. In comparison, the control group tendons showed good tensile strength and well-organized collagen deposition. While this study is somewhat limited in that the experimenters used animal subjects, the effects of the NSAIDs are undeniable.
An additional negative side-effect of NSAID therapy on tissue healing comes in the form of delayed or inhibited bone healing. Several studies have recently been conducted showing significantly delayed fracture healing in animals treated with a course of NSAID therapy, and in some cases non-union of the fracture.
Taking this evidence into account, it would be wise to reconsider the chronic use of NSAIDs for musculoskeletal pain. The long-term effects are potentially detrimental to your health and may have a negative impact on your training and athletic performance while increasing your risk for future injury.
Dr. Adam Meisenhelder is a Sports Chiropractor in Beaverton, Oregon specializing in working with injured runners and endurance athletes. Learn more at http://www.mybeavertonchiropractor.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Adam_Meisenhelder
Комментариев нет:
Отправить комментарий