Remember your coach in college, you tweak your knee during practice and they say “walk it off”! Sure, easier said than done right? Then you went home to mom who gave you a “poor baby”, had you elevate your leg, iced it, AND gave us an anti-inflammatory medication like ibuprofen. Ah, yes, gotta love mom, right? Well, not so fast, maybe mom doesn’t always know best!

In a recent study, researchers found that the body’s response to injury is to trigger inflammation which signals neutrophils to arrive at the site of the injury. Okay, so what? Well, neutrophils “do their thing” and taking an anti-inflammatory medication blocks their ability to do their job. In the study, researchers blocked neutrophils in mice and found that pain lasted 2-10 times longer than normal.

So, what do we do when we have muscle strain that inhibits our ability to do day-to-day activities? Research indicates that if you choose to use medications, avoid anti-inflammatory drugs and rather reach for an acetaminophen-based product for relief. Of course, to be clear, mom wasn’t TOTALLY wrong, follow the typical treatment protocols for acute injuries, rest, elevate, ice, and call your primary care practitioner if needed. Stay the course, stay informed, and stay well!