Doctors have recommended nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen to relieve acute inflammation for decades. But does short-term relief—and interfering with the body’s natural healing process—come at the cost of chronic pain?

Pain from a minor injury, such as a sprained ankle or thrown-out back, often resolves on its own. But for some, acute pain lingers, becoming chronic.

According to the researchers, those in the chronic pain group started with less inflammatory neutrophil activity and later had little to no activity in the cells that create inflammation. In contrast, the genes of the recovered patients were very active with inflammation-related cells.

“Neutrophils rush in pretty early after some sort of injury, causing a process that ends up preventing chronic pain,” said Mr. Mogil, a senior author of the paper, “and you probably shouldn’t block it.”

“Swelling is the body’s innate wisdom to increase the surface area so that healing mediators can then come into that area,” Brandon LaGreca, a licensed acupuncturist who is nationally certified in Oriental medicine, told The Epoch Times.

Pain and swelling are a clear message that the “paramedics” are at work. Decreasing pain without shutting down the “highway” is critical for supporting the healing process.

“If you’re injured, one Advil for discomfort or to get sleep is different than taking 800 milligrams of Advil three times a day for three weeks,” Mr. Aiello said. “That’s when you’re likely to have a problem.”

Mr. Mogil said, “There are ways to block pain without blocking inflammation, and the most well-known of those is Tylenol.”

Although the mice in the drug group initially showed fewer pain symptoms because their inflammation response was dulled, the pain eventually returned and became chronic. For mice that received saline, the pain subsided in half that time, and they remained pain-free.

To see if their hypothesis might apply to humans, the researchers did a separate analysis of patients in the UK. Those with acute back pain who reported taking anti-inflammatories were about 70 percent more likely to have pain two to six years later, an effect not seen in people taking acetaminophen or antidepressants.

While the researchers linked blocking early-stage inflammation to the development of chronic pain, decades of medical orthodoxy will not be overturned by a single study. Clinical trials are needed for that, but the funding for them has proven difficult.

TCM focuses on stimulating circulation to the area of injury, restoring movement and function, and enhancing the body’s natural healing process, according to Mr. LaGreca.

“We encourage the healing process so that inflammation resolves on its own, as opposed to suppressing it,” he said.

“It’s injury dependent, but you can cautiously explore range of motion, stretching, and movement immediately,” Mr. Aiello said.

Gentle range-of-motion movements, including walking and slowly rotating the joints, help to maintain the health of ligaments and tendons by preventing stiffness and promoting circulation. This also helps to move fluid through the lymphatic system.

“For example, with an ankle injury, you may not want to walk on it with a lot of pressure,” Mr. LaGreca said, “but you can start with gentle ankle rotations.”

As pain and swelling decrease, careful movement can increase until there is a regular exercise routine.

“Putting a small amount of load on the ligament helps new tissue grow back in the right way,” Mr. Aiello said.

Ideally, this is done with a physical therapist or sports trainer.

“Your immune response needs fuel from nutrients and lots of antioxidants because the key to overcoming the pain is for neutrophils to help clear the damaged tissues,” Mr. Aiello said. “That debris is what’s eliciting the pain.”

Cold does the opposite, slowing down movement and impairing the circulation of blood and fluids, he said.

“Ice might make you feel better by reducing swelling, but that swelling is there for a reason,” Mr. LaGreca said.

Healing takes time and requires trust in the body’s natural process.

“We need to do things that encourage that healing process,” Mr. LaGreca said.

“Mr. Aiello said, “Inflammation isn’t always bad. Knowing how to use it to fully heal can prevent longer-term problems.”