ROCHESTER, Minn. — Sprained ankles, tendinitis and other daily aches and pains send many people running to the medicine cabinet to grab some ibuprofen or other over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications. But maybe that's not a good idea.

"Some recent studies have shown that in back pain individuals, if we take anti-inflammatories early, they might actually promote prolongation of pain later," says Dr. Edward Laskowski, a Mayo Clinic professor of physical medicine rehabilitation and former co-director of sports medicine. "Maybe they're blocking some of those early healing pathways and beneficial effects that could be taking place in the body."

Inflammation can be confusing. It can be a good thing, but it can also be a really bad thing when it's chronic, too robust or you have underlying conditions, such as heart disease or rheumatoid arthritis. And anti-inflammatory medications come with risks that may outweigh benefits in some situations, which makes the issue of inflammation even more complex.

So what should you do if you wrench your knee on the tennis court or end up with a swollen ankle after stepping into an unseen pothole?

Watch or listen to this podcast to get some perspective on the pros and cons of inflammation and anti-inflammatory medications in regards to musculoskeletal injuries.

Follow the  Health Fusion podcast on  Apple,   Spotify and  Google podcasts. For comments or other podcast episode ideas, email Viv Williams at  vwilliams@newsmd.com. Or on Twitter/Instagram/FB @vivwilliamstv.