ABSTRACT
Musculoskeletal and joint injuries are frequently encountered in sport and lead to time lost from training and competition. One common intervention used in the management of acute or chronic musculoskeletal injuries is the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). This chapter describes how NSAIDs work, explores their effectiveness, and investigates their prevalence of use amongst athletes. It presents some ethical considerations about the use of NSAIDs within sport. NSAIDs are administered by oral, topical, intramuscular, and less commonly by intravenous routes. In sport, NSAIDs are used to treat a wide range of acute musculoskeletal injuries such as ligament sprains, ligament and muscle-tendon strains, muscle contusions and muscle soreness. NSAIDs are not without their adverse effects, especially when administered at high doses or for a prolonged period. The use of non-selective NSAIDs can lead to gastrointestinal (GI) adverse effects, including dyspepsia, haemorrhage, intestinal bleeding, intestinal cramps, peptic ulceration, and perforation.
