Injuries to the musculoskeletal system come in two basic types: acute traumatic and chronic overuse.

In chronic overuse injuries, however, inflammation may not actually play a significant role, which may explain why NSAIDs in that setting, while often useful for reducing pain, are often unhelpful in actually healing the injury itself.

The main therapeutic treatment I apply to most musculoskeletal injuries, whether acute or chronic, is the simplest: rest.

NSAIDs provide two independent effects: pain relief and reduction in inflammation. However, these two benefits occur at different dosages. For example, ibuprofen can provide pain relief at just 400 mg/day but only at 1800 mg/day does it provide an anti-inflammatory effect.