Ibuprofen — brand name Advil, Motrin, and more — belongs to a class of drugs that physicians call nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs. In practice, this means that ibuprofen relieves pain by blocking cells’ production of prostaglandins, one of several compounds responsible for inflammation — which is the body’s response to injury.
After an injury, the immune system rallies to prevent infection. As part of the body’s inflammatory response, damaged cells begin releasing arachidonic acid, a natural chemical that latches onto cyclooxygenase, an enzyme that helps create compounds necessary for blood flow. Together, they produce what’s called prostaglandin H2 — ibuprofen’s primary target.