Do anti-inflammatory painkillers speed up healing?

Question

With a recent case of whiplash as a result of being on the receiving end of a car accident, I'm now wondering whether taking ibuprofen 4-7 times a week will help me heal quicker/more completely? After the incident I took ibuprofen every day for about a week because the pain was intense, and since then less regularly when I've felt stiffness or pain. Now I'm quite comfortable most of the time but still find that I have limited range of motion, pain when I need to blow my nose a lot (thanks to hayfever). My intuition tells me taking the painkillers speed up healing and ensure a fuller recovery. On the other hand I wonder if decreasing pain might cause further damage because the decreased pain will make me less careful in my activities so that I might re-injure it. I don't want to be on painkillers for weeks if there is little benefit to it. My question is this: Do non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs do anything for actual tissue healing? I understand that they decrease pain, but are there any studies that show that they do anything *more* than decrease pain?

Answer 1

Reducing the pain associated with inflammation from illness or injury helps overall recovery in ways that are secondary to the body's own primary mechanisms for repairing tissue. Think of why early ambulation after surgery is a basic principal of patient care. Ambulation promotes blood flow, oxygenation, appetite, building muscle mass, elimination, and all the processes associated with normal physical functioning. Pain, including pain from inflammation, promotes staying in bed/staying sedentary because movement hurts. Movement promotes blood flow of oxygenated blood to support the healing process and builds strength to minimize the risk of other secondary complications of immobility. Ibuprofen, like other NSAIDS, do have side effects such as impairing aggregation of platelets during blood clotting and gastric mucosa irritation, so these medications should not be used when not needed. The description of your recovery from whiplash suggests that you are progressing well through the stages of healing. Ibuprofen is usually ordered "as needed for pain" not to exceed a specific maximum dose per day. I hope that I have answered your question.