Aspirin is a COX inhibitor that reduces inflammation by blocking chemical mediators released during injury.

“Yeah. Aspirin would fit into that category of basically a cox, cyclooxygenase inhibitor. This is one of the chemical mediators that gets released during injury. And that chemical substance has a tendency to wind up or amplify the nociceptors so that after an injury, you note that you're more sensitive there. After a sunburn, you end up having more sensitization. That is what we refer to as peripheral sensitization. Because it's out in the periphery, we're winding up or amplifying the response. Aspirin, NSAIDs in general will reduce that inflammation. They're anti-hyperalgesic.”