Written by J.A. Giresi
25 July 2017

 17nopain

No Pain, No Gain!

Pain Killers Harm the Kidneys, Muscle Growth & Recover!

 

 

We’ve all been there. You’re exercising your heart out, pushing the weights, training to failure, and: “ouch!” A pulled muscle. What’s the first thing that you do? You’ve got it! You reach for the bottle of pain killers, but lately, thanks to research being conducted on NSAID pain-relievers, topical agents and acetaminophen, it appears that the adage “No Pain! No Gain!” could in fact be true.

In the new study, a team of researchers conducted an intense study of marathon runners and found that some pain killers, namely NSAID painkillers, like ibuprofen, could lead to acute kidney disease if used to treat injury related to exercise. Some athletes, and “gym-rats,” have a little inside joke that ibuprofen could sometimes be referred to as “Vitamin I” because they rely on it so much. But according to a new study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) pain killers may do more harm than good!

In the study researchers surveyed a group of marathon runners. They found that 75% of marathon runners who use NSAIDs, like ibuprofen, could contribute or cause acute kidney injury and even slow the growth of muscle tissue related to an injury.

NSAID pain relievers, like ibuprofen, work by slowing down the body’s process for a specified group of hormone-like compounds called prostaglandins that go right to the source of the injury.  Prostaglandins also make blood vessels become wider which increases blood-flow to the injured area. When people take NSAIDs this results in a smaller number of prostaglandins and consequently, it brings down inflammation and the blood vessels won’t become as dilated.

Recent research also has shown that NSAIDs may increase the risk of cardiovascular accidents such as heart attacks and strokes. This is another reason why you should avoid excessive use of NSAIDs. 

 

What Should We Use?

To treat muscle injury some of the best remedies can include immediately applying ice to help alleviate the swelling, but another way is to use topical menthol creams.

Lately various studies have shown that topical agents that contain menthol which have a cooling effect may be helpful. Menthol, the active ingredient found in many topical analgesics, activates what’s called the transient receptor melastatin 8 (TRPM8.) This centers in on sensory nerves and the blood vessels by creating a “cooling sensation” on the skin. When the injury occurs, the topical treatment would be able to go right to the source of the injury helping to induce blood-flow immediately without stomach upset because of NSAIDs.  Be very cautious about taking the pain-reliever acetaminophen, found in Tylenol. When people take acetaminophen, found in pain-relievers like Tylenol, they sometimes ingest alcohol.  The problem with this is that when you do take acetaminophen, and then have alcohol, you can be damaging your liver, or worse, even causing yourself to go into liver failure and possible candidate for a liver transplant.

If the pain is severe, then you should go see a healthcare professional who will recommend the best course of action. To be proactive, and try to avoid injury altogether, it is also recommended to eat an anti-inflammatory Mediterranean diet rich in fish (fish oil), olive oil, nuts, fruits and vegetables. This all-natural diet approach may be helpful for relieving pain and inflammation when injury does occur. Also ingesting certain spices like the Indian herb Tumeric (curcumin) may help to relieve inflammation, but please use with caution especially if you are using any blood thinners such as coumadin.

 Twitter: @jwgiresi

What makes J.A. Giresi a health expert? Not much. For three years she worked at Stony Brook University Hospital’s Emergency Room as an E/R Registrar, and saw emergency room life up close.

Last year when her husband almost died from a pulmonary embolism and aortic aneurysm, she began to research almost everything she could on hematology, blood disorders, genetic testing, nutrition, supplements and cardiology.

Though she does not hold a medical degree or a nutrition degree, she has collaborated with the wonderful medical and editorial Staff at MD to bring you this article.

Aside from being a freelance writer, she is also the author of the novels The Turn of the Dime, Billy’s Cascade and Potholes: A Tale of Road-Rage, Murder & Romance.  In addition, she is a partner in the firm of Double J IT Consulting Services based in Long Island, NY.

 

 Sources:

 The NY Times, July 11, 2017 https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/05/well/move/bring-on-the-exercise-hold-the-painkillers.html

 Scandanavian Journal of Medicine & Health: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/sms.12945/abstract?campaign=wolacceptedarticle

 British Medical Journal http://emj.bmj.com/content/early/2017/06/28/emermed-2016-206353

Topical menthol increases cutaneous blood flowhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5406845/

 

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