Drug Showdown! Advil Vs. Tylenol

If you're trying to decide whether to take Advil or Tylenol for your pain, consider this:

First, I'm going to state the obvious:

Drugs work by interfering with the body's natural functioning to create a desired effect (as well as many side effects, aka undesired effects).  You cannot chemically manipulate a biochemical pathway without starting a cascade of unwanted effects.

Advil, as an NSAID (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug), interferes with the biochemical pathway that encourages inflammation.  However, this same inflammation is what triggers the anti-inflammatory cycle which is responsible for laying down new healthy tissue and repairing the area.  If you have damaged tissue and take Ibuprofen (Advil), you are actually impeding your body's ability to heal.

Tylenol (acetaminophen), on the other hand, works with a different pathway, but that pathway is also responsible for T cell production. T cells are one of our basic immune cells and are used to target invading organisms and eliminate problem cells (bacteria, viruses... even cancer!).  These are the same cells that are not being produced in those with AIDs which is why people with AIDs can be killed by something as seemingly harmless as mold spores.  They no longer have the cells to defend themselves. 

Many athletes talk about using Advil post workout, but workouts shred tissue.  Post workout, your body is working hard to rebuild and repair... is it a good idea to impede this process?  Research has shown that neither Advil nor Tylenol improve recovery time from a workout. 

So if Advil impedes the healing process, and Tylenol impedes the immune system, which would YOU choose?

What to do when you can't turn your head...

A friend reached out to me with this question this morning and I thought I'd share my response:

Q: My neck muscle strained and I can't move it comfortably left to right - I have no idea how or why this happened. What can I do at home to gain more comfort and mobility? Heat or ice? Motrin load up?

A: As a Chiropractor, I get asked this question a LOT. Most folks completely underestimate the importance of this red flag! Nothing replaces a good chiropractic exam to determine exactly what the issue is. If I were alone on a desert island with no one to examine me and an endless supply of moist heat and ice, I would probably start with moist heat. If it got worse than it was when it started once the heat is removed, I'd switch to ice. I would also find which vectors made for a good stretch and hold the stretch for at least a minute at a time. Massage will also help. Since Motrin (ibuprofen) interferes with healing, that might not be the best idea. Tylenol (acetaminophen) interferes with T cell production and your immune system, so I would avoid that if possible as well.

Most of all, and I can't stress this enough, I would definitely get it checked out by a good chiropractor, since this is usually a warning sign that there are major problems lurking under the surface... If it's addressed now, you could potentially stop or prevent the development of arthritis and disease, saving you from a whole bunch of other issues including but not limited to headaches, fatigue, allergies, and more pain. I can't tell you how many times I see people coming into my office with major health problems that resulted from ignoring things like this. It's SOOO easy to fix when you catch it early on... but wait too long, and the damage becomes irreparable. Good luck! If you need the name of someone convenient to you, let me know and I'll see who I know in your area!!