Anti-inflammatory drugs could increase chronic pain risk, study suggests

Inflammation is natural and new research indicates it may have a protective effect

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Using drugs like ibuprofen and steroids to relieve short-term pain could increase the chances of developing chronic pain, new research suggests.

The findings from the small study challenge usual methods for dealing with pain and indicate that it could be time to reconsider how pain is treated.

Normal recovery from a painful injury involves inflammation – the body’s natural reaction to injury and infection – and new research indicates blocking inflammation with drugs could lead to harder-to-treat pain.