J&J’s Tylenol equals ibuprofen in ankle sprain relief

This is the first study comparing acetaminophen against ibuprofen in alleviating the pain associated with ankle sprains.

Conducted as a multicenter, randomized, double-blind trial, the study followed 260 patients with grade I or II lateral ankle sprains and moderate pain when walking. In the study, patients were divided into two groups of comparable size and baseline condition. One group was instructed to take extended-release acetaminophen for nine days (1300mg three times daily) while the other took ibuprofen for nine days (400mg three times daily).

Each study participant was evaluated at days four and nine for pain when walking (the primary measurement of effectiveness) as well as for swelling, bruising, range of motion, and any adverse events such as nausea or abdominal pain. At the conclusion of the trial, the acetaminophen and ibuprofen groups showed comparable findings by all endpoint measurements. Both study medications were well tolerated, with no significant differences between treatment groups.

“Ibuprofen has been a mainstay in treating the pain associated with ankle sprains, but many people either shouldn’t take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or have become concerned about the safety of NSAIDs in the past year,” said Dr James Dalton Jr, who conducted the study. “This new information shows that extended-release acetaminophen is equally effective at relieving the pain associated with ankle sprains and can help patients resume normal activities as early as four days after injury. This is good news for anyone interested in identifying alternatives to NSAIDs.”

Ankle sprains are the most common injury in sports, accounting for approximately 45% of all injuries in basketball, 31% in soccer, and 25% in volleyball. Ankle sprains are also common in football, hockey, gymnastics, skating, baseball and wrestling.