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Moskau50 t1_iy4se6c wrote

They cannot target a specific part of the body. However, if you have some sort of deficiency that shows up most prominently in a specific part of the body, then taking the multivitamin or supplement can reduce the deficiency and "heal" the affected part simply because that's the part that hurts. Same for painkillers; they dull the pain everywhere, but you only notice the effect where you were feeling pain.

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Mont-ka t1_iy53y4w wrote

As a follow up. This is why "targeted" pain relievers like paracetamol/ibuprofen can actually be dangerous. Some people take 4 "different forms of paracetamol or ibuprofen for different ailments at the same time not understanding that isn't how it works. They can end up with a much higher than safe dose.

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Tarianor t1_iy5a19k wrote

>They cannot target a specific part of the body.

Just to expand a bit, some medication can target specific parts of the body. Not in the way a layman thinks (like an arm) but in the sense it can target specific receptors only found on certain cells.

This is used in certain brain and cancer medication.

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[deleted] t1_iy53m5u wrote

[deleted]

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PepsiMangoMmm t1_iy56jkb wrote

It's not that it knows where the inflammation is and therefore reduces it. It reduces inflammation all over the body but since there's only one inflamed spot that's the spot that's effected

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Dazzling_Ad5338 t1_iy572lx wrote

Agreed. The other parts won't be effected if they're not inflammed. Only the inflammed part will be.

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hangryhyax t1_iy57qx5 wrote

NSAIDs do not target inflammation. They are delivered systemically and bind to certain molecules present in enzymes that are more abundant at the site of inflammation, inhibiting further production of prostaglandins and reducing inflammation.

In other words, it is more of a passive effect from systemic delivery, but it is not targeting. “Targeting” would imply that the medicine is taken and then goes to a specific location to create an effect; that is not what is happening here.

Even with localized delivery (e.g. steroidal anti-inflammatories), it’s more that a higher concentration is being delivered to the site and directly passing/binding whichever receptor it’s designed for, rather than wandering around until it finds what it needs, so to speak.

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