According to a pilot study, those who take over-the-counter pain medicines following a concussion may recover more quickly than those who do not. The study merely demonstrates a connection rather than proving that painkillers enhance concussion recovery.
These results are exciting as there are limited treatment options for concussion, and over-the-counter pain relievers are readily available and inexpensive,
If these results can be confirmed by a controlled study, they could guide us to possible treatment options for people after a concussion.
Kyle Arnold
The NCAA and US Department of Defense CARE Consortium conducted a cohort study that examined concussions among NCAA players and military cadets. Following their concussion, 813 individuals took over-the-counter painkillers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen along with other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, while 848 individuals did not take any painkillers at all.
The time it took for the athletes to be cleared to resume their activities without any limitations at 50% and 90% recovery that is, when 50% and 90% of the study participants recovered, respectively was examined by the researchers.
Compared to people who did not use painkillers, those who did had a 20% higher chance of having a shorter period before being allowed to resume their activities without any limitations. Compared to those who did not take medication, those who used the drugs were cleared at 50% recovery an average of two days faster and at 90% recovery an average of seven days faster.
In addition, individuals who used painkillers had a 15% higher chance of going back to being symptom-free sooner than those who didn’t. Those on the drugs experienced no symptoms one day earlier than those not on the drugs at 50% recovery. Three days earlier, they were symptom-free at 90% recovery.
On tests measuring the severity of their headaches and overall symptoms, those who took painkillers also performed worse.
The researchers also observed that the earlier participants used the pain medicines after the injury, the faster they healed. For example, at 50% recovery, individuals who began using painkillers on the first day of their injury were able to resume playing and saw symptom resolution about eight days sooner than those who began taking them five or more days later.
There was no difference between the type of pain medication taken and how quickly people recovered.
Early medication use appeared to be linked to shorter recovery times, but these findings require further validation through controlled trials,
In the meantime, these preliminary results may help inform potential treatment options for people recovering from concussions, but additional studies are needed to provide more definitive recommendations.
Kyle Arnold
Source: American Academy of Neurology
Last Modified:
