Why NSAIDs Might Be Slowing Your Recovery

You pull a muscle, twist an ankle, or wake up with a tight lower back.

Your first thought might be to grab some ibuprofen and try to move on with your day.

It’s what we’ve all been told for years.

Just take something to ease the pain, bring the swelling down, and get back to normal.

No harm done, right?

The truth is that just because it feels better doesn’t mean it’s getting better.

At EVO, we get asked this question all the time. Should I take NSAIDs for this? Will it help me heal faster or just take the edge off? What are the risks? What are the better options?

Let’s break it down in plain language so you can make the right call for your body and your recovery.

What NSAIDs Actually Do

NSAIDs, short for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, work by blocking chemicals in your body that trigger pain, swelling, and inflammation. They can make you feel better quickly, especially in those first few hours or days when an injury flares up.

But here’s the problem. That swelling and inflammation are part of how your body starts to heal. It’s not just random fluid or pain for the sake of pain. It’s your body’s signal that something needs attention. It’s also how it starts the clean-up and repair process.

When you shut that process down too early, you may be delaying your recovery. In some cases, you may even be weakening the quality of the healing tissue.

What the Research Says

Military research has been leading the way on this conversation. In a group of highly active, performance-driven individuals like soldiers, researchers have been able to look closely at how NSAIDs impact recovery.

Several studies have found that using NSAIDs can delay muscle regeneration, reduce tendon strength, and impair how connective tissue heals. A review published in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons showed that NSAIDs can interfere with collagen formation. And a study in Military Medicine linked prolonged NSAID use after injury to slower recovery and a higher risk of getting hurt again.

So while it might help with pain in the short term, there’s growing evidence that NSAIDs may come at the cost of long-term healing.

What About Bone Healing?

This is another big one that most people don’t realize.

NSAIDs can interfere with how bones repair themselves too.

Healing a bone, whether it’s a stress reaction or a full fracture, also depends on inflammation. That early inflammatory phase is critical for recruiting the cells that start rebuilding bone tissue. Studies have shown that NSAIDs can reduce the activity of osteoblasts—the cells responsible for bone formation—and may delay or even prevent complete healing.

This is especially important for runners or athletes dealing with stress fractures or bone bruises. If you’re dealing with a bone injury, NSAIDs might not just slow you down.

They might increase your risk of non-union or long-term complications.

The Problem with Chronic NSAID Use

Even if you’re not dealing with an acute injury, long-term NSAID use carries its own risks.

Taking these medications regularly can increase your risk of gastrointestinal issues like ulcers or internal bleeding. They can also raise blood pressure, strain your kidneys, and in some cases increase cardiovascular risk. This is especially true if you’re using them daily to get through workouts or manage chronic pain.

There’s also something sneakier that happens when NSAIDs become your go-to. You stop listening to your body. Pain becomes something to push through or cover up, and you never actually solve the root cause. That’s how minor issues turn into major ones.

We’ve seen too many people stuck in this cycle. Temporary relief becomes the norm. Long-term progress stalls out. It’s a frustrating place to be, and it doesn’t have to be that way.

When Is It Worth Taking?

We’re not anti-medication.

There’s a time and a place for NSAIDs, especially when pain is severe enough to impact your sleep or if you’ve had surgery and need to manage inflammation more aggressively.

But for non-surgical soft tissue injuries like strains, sprains, or overuse flare-ups, most people are better off avoiding NSAIDs in the first 48 to 72 hours. That’s when your body is doing its most important repair work.

If you’re still in pain after that or not seeing progress, it’s time to figure out what’s really going on and why the pain is lingering. NSAIDs should never be a long-term plan.

Better Alternatives for Recovery

Instead of masking symptoms, we like to support your body’s natural recovery process. Here are some of our go-to options:

Cold exposure

Cold plunges or ice packs can help reduce pain temporarily without interfering much with healing. Use them for comfort, not as a crutch.

Guided movement

The right kind of movement actually helps speed up recovery. We’re not talking about jumping back into full workouts. We’re talking about smart, gentle movement that keeps the body engaged and blood flowing.

Compression and elevation

Still simple and still effective. Especially if there’s visible swelling.

Nutrition

What you eat matters. Anti-inflammatory foods like berries, fatty fish, turmeric, leafy greens, and high-quality protein give your body the raw materials to rebuild tissue and reduce unnecessary inflammation.

Supplements

Curcumin, omega-3s, collagen with vitamin C, and magnesium can all support healing. We recommend speaking with someone who knows your case to figure out what makes sense for you.

One Last Note

We are not medical doctors and we do not prescribe or recommend medication. This article is for educational purposes only. If you are considering taking NSAIDs or any medication for pain or injury, please talk with your physician or pharmacist first. They’ll help you understand what’s appropriate for your specific situation.

The Bottom Line

NSAIDs are everywhere.

But just because something is easy to grab doesn’t mean it’s the right tool.

Pain is information. And while you don’t have to suffer through it, you also don’t want to ignore what your body is trying to tell you.

You can’t shortcut healing. But you can work with your body instead of against it. That’s what we do every day at EVO. We don’t just treat pain. We help you understand it, and we build a plan to move you through it with purpose.

If you’re dealing with a nagging injury or something new that just doesn’t feel right, let’s take a closer look. There’s a better way to heal, and it starts with understanding the difference between covering up a problem and solving it.

Ready to stop masking pain and start healing?

We’re here when you’re ready to take the next step.

Book a Discovery Call now!