WEDNESDAY, Sept. 24, 2014 (HealthDay News) — People who use painkillers called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) — which include aspirin, naproxen (Aleve) and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) — may be at increased risk for potentially deadly blood clots, a new study suggests.
But the study only showed an association between use of the painkillers and higher clotting risk; it did not prove cause-and-effect.
The researchers analyzed the results of six studies involving more than 21,000 cases of a type of blood clot called a venous thromboembolism (VTE).
These clots include deep vein thrombosis (a clot in the leg) and pulmonary embolism (a clot in the lungs).
Reporting online Sept. 24 in Rheumatology , the analysis found that people who used NSAIDs had an 80 percent higher risk for venous clots. Click here to read Robert Preidt’s full article
BETTER OPTIONS FOR PAIN RELIEF (Comments by Premiere Spine & Sport clinicians)
Blood clots are a normal part of the body’s healing process. When you get injured, the body forms blood clots to stop the bleeding, preventing you from bleeding out. However, sometimes blood clots form abnormally, which can pose a serious health risk, including pulmonary embolism, heart attack and stroke.
There are several conditions that put you at increased risk of blood clots, including genetic disorders, atherosclerosis and diabetes. As such, when dealing with pain, we recommend using great caution when taking NSAIDs, which can further increase your risk of dangerous blood clots. Instead, we advocate trying safer alternatives to treat pain, before resorting to NSAIDs. NSAIDs not only increase your risk of blood clots, they also increase your risk of stomach problems, high blood pressure, kidney problems, etc. Read more about NSAIDs.
Chiropractic & Pain Relief (Dr. Cristina Diaz, DC)
Within Chiropractic care there are multiple manual therapies that help control pain without the use of NSAIDS. Most manual therapies stimulate the nervous system and cause a nervous system reaction. By stimulating certain tissues like ligaments, muscles and joint capsules we can open up pathways to the brain that can block pain gates or pain receptors in the central nervous systems.
One of the most powerful therapies for neural input is the adjustment. Adjustments affect stretch receptors in joints that send information to the brain via type 2 nerve fibers which in turn shut down pain gates. Deep Muscle Stimulation works in a similar manner by putting vibration through muscle tissue receptors and stimulating type 2 nerve fibers. There are a myriad of other therapies that we regularly use to stimulate the nervous system, control pain and help you avoid the harmful systemic effects of NSAIDS.
Massage Therapy & Pain Relief (Lisbeth Geertsen, CMT)
If pain is caused by muscle tightness or spasm, therapeutic massage can be a very effective way of releasing tight muscles or muscle spasms. In my practice, I approach pain management by trying to identify what the root cause of the pain is from a muscular point of view.
I typically start the session with a brief assessment; then I begin to work on or in the proximity of the site of pain and subsequently move away from it working on the muscle groups and joints I have identified could be part of the problem. It’s nothing like a soothing relaxing massage – but locating the tight spots and releasing them with cross fiber friction followed by longitudinal stripping is a very effective way of alleviating pain caused by muscle tightness or spasm without popping a pill. To maintain the results I provide strengthening and stretching exercises that target the muscle imbalances causing the pain.
Nutrition & Pain Relief (Susan McCauley, NC)
The key to relieving pain through nutrition is to reduce your intake of foods that promote inflammation. The primary foods that contribute to inflammation are sugar, grains and refined oils such as vegetable, soybean, corn and canola. This is why the majority of processed food is inflammatory as they are predominantly made up of these three ingredients. Most people see significant pain relief just by eliminating processed foods from their diet.
Another great way to decrease inflammation that leads to pain is to increase the intake of Omega-3 fats. These fatty acids are involved in dampening the inflammatory process. I recommend getting Omega-3 fats primarily from eating fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines and halibut. Fatty fish contain the most usable forms of Omega-3 called DHA and EPA.
If dietary changes and other holistic interventions such as chiropractic and massage don’t alleviate the pain, I recommend a supplement called Pain Relieve by Pure Encapsulations. It contains a combination of herbs and amino acids that relieve pain without all the negative side effects normally associated with NSAIDS.
