We currently live in a society where our health care system is retroactive in nature. Meaning, we treat people's problems after the fact, and we’re completely reactive to what's going on with our own health and wellness.
Dr. Kevin Noel
My colleague and friend, Dr. Kevin explained our current healthcare model perfect in the quote above. For most people, if they have experienced a headache or low back pain, whatever it may be, they have been told to take an ibuprofen or an aspirin. How many people do you know that have a container full of ibuprofen in their purse or vehicle? This has been the common short-term fix in our country, but that’s all it is…a short term fix. We are treating the symptoms not the cause. Let’s talk about how NSAIDs actually work and the detrimental health effects that they are associated with.
What is an NSAID and How Does it Work?
Before we understand what NSAIDs are, we need to talk about Prostaglandins. These are chemicals produced by cells in our body. Prostaglandin functions include:
- Promoting inflammation that is necessary for healing
- Support the blood clotting function in platelets
- Protect the lining of the stomach from the damaging effects of acid.
- They result in a pain/fever response, which is part of our body’s normal defense mechanism.
NSAIDs are drugs that block the pathways that produce Prostaglandins, with the goal of reducing inflammation, pain, and fevers. You may be saying, “that’s good, we don’t want inflammation or pain!” It sounds great and it feels great to not have pain, but have you ever thought about what happens long-term when taking NSAIDs?
NSAIDs Make Pain Worse!
The serious side effects of NSAIDs actually drive inflammation to the following tissues: lung, heart, gastrointestinal, liver, and kidneys.
Research is showing that patients with chronic use of NSAIDs lead to joint replacement surgeries and prevent the body’s normal response to healing.
RESEARCH 1: A study published in 2010 showed that use of NSAIDs accelerate the articular cartilage breakdown in osteoarthritis. Basically, that means it sped the process of our joints breaking down. The authors said, “If NSAID use continues, then most likely the exponential rise in degenerative arthritis and subsequent musculoskeletal surgeries, including knee and hip replacements as well as spine surgeries, will continue to rise as well“(4).
RESEARCH 2: This is a quote from doctors in the Pain medical journal, “the reason a joint replacement is recommended and performed is that NSAIDs do not work and, in fact, cause the pain that leads to joint replacement recommendations”(3).
RESEARCH 3: A study produced in 1997 looked at Piroxicam, a type of NSAID, was used to treat patients with acute ankle injuries. After taking NSAIDs, they were able to resume their activity with minimal pain, but their ligaments became more and more unstable. “…the NSAID stopped ligament healing, yet the person felt better.” This result is concerning because the athletes ligaments were not fully healed. This can allow athletes to resume activity prematurely and cause further damage(6).
RESEARCH 4: This study looked at NSAID usage vs. Exercise. When the subjects were put through an exercise regimen, their bodies released a natural chemical that our bodies use to fight off pain. This study also found that the chemicals were released to block certain bone loss from happening and helped with a potential bone-stabilizing effect on the osteoarthritis joint. In other words, exercise helped block part of the joint bone erosion seen in advanced osteoarthritis. This sure beats the bad side effects of NSAIDs(1).
What about COVID and NSAIDs?
What we know about COVID, thus far, is that it is associated with ACE-2 inhibitors. ACE-2 inhibitors are associated with inflammation in the following tissues: lung, cardiac, gastrointestinal, kidney, etc. ACE-2 inhibitors are a key in a biochemical pathway that regulates blood pressure, wound healing, and inflammation. This is GOOD.
When COVID gets into our bodies, it stops the ACE-2 Inhibitors. Causing tons of inflammation in the SAME TISSUES. This leads to a cytokine storm that causes so much of the illness that comes with COVID. THIS IS BAD.
As we said earlier, NSAIDs drive inflammation in those exact same tissues. This becomes a potentially DEADLY combination!
What is a great alternative to not using NSAIDs? CHIROPRACTIC!
As Chiropractors, we dig deep to find the cause of pain. Our bodies are incredible you guys, and we’re preventing it from unleashing its full healing potential by taking NSAIDs.
We need to change our current health care model. That means taking a PROACTIVE approach vs. a REACTIVE approach, and that is what Chiropractic is all about. Instead of waiting for a problem to occur, lets PREVENT those problems from ever occurring at all!
It all starts with one phone call. Get in touch with Kaufman Wellness Center and schedule an appointment today!
1 Allen J, Imbert I, Havelin J, Henderson T, Stevenson G, Liaw L, King T. Effects of treadmill exercise on advanced osteoarthritis pain in rats. Arthritis & Rheumatology. 2017 Jul;69(7):1407-17. [Google Scholar]
2 Goulet JL, Buta E, Brennan M, Heapy A, Fraenkel L. Discontinuing a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) in patients with knee osteoarthritis: Design and protocol of a placebo-controlled, noninferiority, randomized withdrawal trial. Contemporary clinical trials. 2018 Feb 28;65:1-7. [Google Scholar]
3 Havelin J, Imbert I, Cormier J, Allen J, Porreca F, King T. Central Sensitization and Neuropathic Features of Ongoing Pain in a Rat Model of Advanced Osteoarthritis. J Pain. 2016 Mar;17(3):374-82. [Google Scholar]
4 Hauser RA. The acceleration of articular cartilage degeneration in osteoarthritis by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Journal of Prolotherapy. 2010;2(1):305-22.
5. Almekinders, L. An in vitro investigation into the effects of repetitive motion and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication on human tendon fibroblasts. American Journal of Sports Medicine. 1995; 23:119-123. [Google Scholar]
6. Slatyer, M. A randomized controlled trial of Piroxicam in the management of acute ankle sprain in Australian regular army recruits. American Journal of Sports Medicine. 1997; 25:544-553. [Google Scholar]
7 Bonnet U, Strasser JC, Scherbaum N. Screening for physical and behavioral dependence on non-opioid analgesics in a German elderly hospital population. Addictive behaviors. 2019 Mar 1;90:265-71. [Google Scholar]
