whats a good way to rid the aches.

[WhiteBelt]

I wouldn't take advil/ibuprofin because they are counter productive. Take them for any reason other than workout pain (DOMS).

[solar_kid]

In response to Advil (aka Motrin aka Ibuprofen) being counterproductive: I was concerned about this myself, so I did some research. After doing so, I would concede that prolonged use of Advil can work against healing. Advil is a NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug), meaning that the way that Advil reduces pain is to reduce inflammation. Inflammation, however, is a key component of the body's response to injury, and it is possible that the use of Advil could prolong the period for tissues to heal.

 

For an typical discussion of the arguments on this subject, visit http://cat007.com/ibup.htm . This article also does a good job of pointing out the potential side effects.

 

It seems to me that many professionals who advocate this position are hawking some alternative product that purports to treat pain, though, and I wonder how well it is backed up by clinical research. One report ( http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2026619.stm ) ties NSAID use to problems with bone healing in mice, but mice are a long way from being human! And, bone injuries may be different than soft-tissue pain.

 

All that said, however, I personally find Advil to be a useful pain reliever, and it seems to be widely considered safe and effective for the periodic treatment of pain. My doctor has often told me to keep taking the drug when I've talked to him about my karate injures. (In fact, when I was in the military, all the doctors seemed to prescribe this drug for just about every kind of pain!) Apprently, though, some athletes use this drug routinely or even constantly, and that is probably a poor idea.

 

I wouldn't rule it out as pain reliever when you need one. Just follow the label and don't over-use it! Just my informed opinion, though. Everybody's got to make their own decisions as to what to put in their bodies!