a simple pain model for the evaluation of analgesic effects of nsaids in healthy subjects aims nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs nsaids are believed to counteract inflammation and inflammationinduced sensitization of nociceptors by inhibiting peripheral prostaglandin synthesis we evaluated an experimental pain model for nsaids that included an inflammatory component to mimic clinical inflammatory pain conditionsmethods the study was performed in a randomized doubleblind placebocontrolled twoway crossover design on 32 healthy volunteers a small skin area of the proximal upper leg was irradiated with a uvb source using three times the individually estimated minimal erythema dose twenty hours after irradiation skin temperature heat pain threshold and tolerance in sunburn spot were measured using a thermal sensory testing these measurements were repeated 2 h after medication of either 800 mg ibuprofen as single oral dose or placebo capsules effects of ibuprofen on outcome parameters were assessed with analyses of covariance ancovaresults placebo did not affect heat pain threshold or tolerance by contrast ibuprofen increased heat pain threshold by 1092 degrees c confidence interval ci 0498 1695 p 00008 compared with placebo heat pain tolerance also increased significantly by 1618 degrees c ci 1062 2175 p 00001conclusion the pain model we evaluated was well tolerated in all subjects and the effects of ibuprofen were highly significant this model is simple sensitive to nsaids effects and therefore has potential for future experimental pain studies