Corticosteroids refers to a class of hormones that occur naturally in the body’s adrenal glands; however, these hormones can also be synthetic — manufactured in a lab. Both can be used medicinally to treat a variety of health conditions, including orthopedic conditions like arthritis and inflammation from soft tissue injuries.

If you’ve ever had a minor injury like a sprain or muscle strain, you may have been advised by a doctor or nurse (or the Internet) to rest your injury and take NSAIDs to help with the pain and inflammation.

But what exactly are NSAIDs, and how do they help?

NSAID is an acronym for a class of drug called a Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug. As suggested by the name, these are drugs that have...