A major new study offers hope for athletes and others recovering from concussion: using over-the-counter (OTC) analgesics like acetaminophen and NSAIDs may significantly improve symptoms and reduce recovery time.
Researchers from the University of Washington Medical Center, working with NCAA athletes and military cadets, tracked over 1,600 young adults who experienced a concussion. They compared those who took OTC pain relievers after their injury to those who did not.
Faster Recovery: Athletes who used OTC analgesics reached 90% recovery about 7 days sooner than those who didn’t take any pain relievers.
Quicker Symptom Relief: Those taking OTC medications were cleared for unrestricted return to play faster and became asymptomatic sooner.
Lower Symptom Severity: Participants reported significantly less severe symptoms and headaches after taking OTC analgesics.
Timing Matters: Taking pain relievers within the first 24 hours after injury was especially effective, likely because early intervention targets the initial wave of inflammation following concussion.
Surprisingly, the study found no significant difference between the types of OTC pain relievers, acetaminophen and NSAIDs (like ibuprofen), both provided similar benefits for concussion recovery. This suggests that simply managing pain early on, regardless of the specific medication, can help speed up recovery.
Some of my colleagues feel that taking pain relievers or even migraine medications can delay the recovery. This study suggests that OTC pain relievers soon after a concussion may help reduce symptoms and speed recovery. Most headaches that occur after a concussion are migrainous in type and also respond to migraine drugs such as sumatriptan, rimegepant, and others. These headaches also respond to Botox injections, just like migraines.
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