Anti-inflammatory refers to the property of a substance or treatment that reduces inflammation. Anti-inflammatory drugs make up about half of analgesics, remedying pain by reducing inflammation as opposed to opioids which affect the brain.
Many steroids, specifically glucocorticoids, reduce inflammation or swelling by binding to cortisol receptors. These drugs are often referred to as corticosteroids.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), alleviate pain by counteracting the cyclooxygenase (COX) enzyme. On its own COX enzyme synthesizes prostaglandins, creating inflammation. In whole the NSAIDs prevent the prostaglandins from ever being synthesized, reducing or eliminating the pain.
Some common examples of NSAIDs are: aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen. The newer specific COX-inhibitors although probably sharing a similar mode of action are not classified together with the traditional NSAIDs.
Applying ice to a tissue injury has an anti-inflammatory effect and is often suggested as an injury treatment and pain management technique for athletes. Practitioners of Chinese medicine, on the other hand, contend that ice is only useful for 24 hours or so after acute trauma, after which time ice becomes counterproductive to healing, as cold inhibits local blood circulation.
|
