Spine Injuries

Tom RaderStaff - June 1, 2021

Spine injury is one of the scariest and most heavily marketed trauma injuries in emergency medicine. The great joke is that the most dreadful outcome—
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Would ibuprofen be appropriate if the patient has hurt their back? My thinking is that this will reduce pain but also reduce swelling, which may also reduce pain (if the pain is because a swollen muscle is pushing on a nerve).

 

I would think any common over-the-counter pain med would be fine, since you’re not specifically worried about bleeding in this case the way you are during stroke / brain trauma. 

 

Great question, Lowell.
Ibuprofen may help slightly with the pain.  Just be sure to check for any potential complications with drug allergies, or mixing medications they may or may not be taking prior to administering any medicine, including ibuprofen.  But usually you’re fine with ibuprofen.