People often resort to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for osteoarthritis pain. Findings from a new study show that these could possibly exacerbate inflammation in arthritic knee joints. As for NSAIDs themselves, these belong to a family of medicines that include aspirin, ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), and naproxen (Naprosyn, Aleve).
It’s true, millions of people take the commonly prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs such as naproxen and ibuprofen to help lessen joint pain. However, these could unintentionally worsen swelling and discomfort in the long run, as per a new study.
The study honed in on those who suffer from moderate to severe knee osteoarthritis, which is a condition that typically develops as people age. This is due to the wear and tear on the body as the cartilage in the joint gets eroded. As a result, movement sometimes brings about pain and discomfort.
In order to see this, the scientists studied 277 people who resorted to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for at least a year to help manage the pain. In the study, they also had a control group of 793 people who didn’t resort to these types of meds.
At the beginning of the research, all of the participants were required to get a detailed MRI scans of their knees. They saw that those who used NSAIDs had worse cartilage quality and joint inflammation as compared to those who weren’t taking these kinds of meds, according to preliminary results of research. The said study was going to be presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.
They saw that taking NSAIDs gave no long term benefits. This conclusion made was based on subsequent scans that happened. In fact, after four years, cartilage quality and joint inflammation worsened for those in the NSAID group. This was seen in the preview of the study results.
“NSAIDs are frequently used to treat pain, but it is still an open discussion of how NSAID use influences outcomes for osteoarthritis patients,” lead author Johanna Luitjens, MD, of the department of radiology and biomedical imaging at the University of California in San Francisco, said. She released a statement regarding the findings.
“In this large group of participants, we were able to show that there were no protective mechanisms from NSAIDs in reducing inflammation or slowing down progression of osteoarthritis of the knee joint,” Luitjens added.
While the study wasn’t a controlled experiment that was made to prove whether or how NSAIDs might directly be behind the increased cartilage breakdown and joint inflammation, there are several possible explanations for this, Luitjens also explained.
There’s also one possibility for this, and it is because the NSAIDs weren’t able to stop or prevent what’s known as synovitis, which is the swelling and pain in the connective tissue whose job is to line the joints such as the knee, hip, ankle, and shoulder, Luitjens said. Another explanation could be that NSAIDs do relieve pain, which allow those who take it to continue with physical activities, which may only worsen or exacerbate the wear and tear on the knee joint in the long run.
For those who need to know more about NSAIDs, these, as mentioned previously, belong to a family of medicines. Included in this family are aspirins, ibuprofens (Motrin, Advil), and naproxens (Naprosyn, Aleve). There are numerous NSAIDs available over-the-counter without the need for a prescription and these are sold at lower doses. The higher doses need the doctor’s prescription. These have been used to relieve pain and discomfort, reduce inflammation, and prevent blood clots. There are side effects as well, and these are often reported to be upset stomach and bleeding.
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