Pain Relievers Could Shorten Length of Concussion Symptoms
People who take over the counter pain relievers after a concussion could potentially recover faster than those who do not take pain relievers. This is according to a study being presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 77th Annual Meeting from April 5-9. The cohort study was conducted by the NCAA and US Department of Defense CARE Consortium and looked at NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) athletes and military cadets who had concussions. Of the participants, 813 people took over the counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs after their concussion while 848 people did not take any drugs.
Researchers looked at the amount of time it took for athletes to be cleared to return to activities with no restrictions at 50 percent and 90 percent recovery, which means when 50 percent recovered then when 90 percent recovered. People who took pain relievers were 20 percent more likely to have a faster time to be cleared to return to activities with no restrictions than those who did not take pain relievers. Patients who took pain relievers were cleared at 50 percent recovery an average of two days faster, and at 90 percent recovery an average of seven days faster than those who did not take medication.
People who took pain relievers were also 15 percent more likely to return to having no symptoms more quickly than those who did not take pain relievers. At 50 percent recovery, people taking medications had symptoms resolve one day sooner than those not taking the medications. At 90 percent recovery, patients had no symptoms 3 days sooner. Those who took pain relievers also had lower scores on tests of how severe their symptoms were overall and how severe their headaches were.
It was also found that the earlier people took the pain relievers after a concussion, the faster they recovered. At 50 percent recovery, those who took pain relievers on day one of their injury returned to play and had clearance of symptoms approximately eight days faster than those who started taking them five or more days after the injury. There was no difference in the type of pain reliever taken and how quickly someone recovered. These are exciting results because there are not many options to treat concussions and over the counter pain relievers are readily available and inexpensive. If the results can be confirmed by a controlled study, this could guide treatment options for people after a concussion.
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