Too bored to search, does ibuprofen help healing? I mean does it actively act against the inflammation or does it just reduce the pain? Are you happy with it's action?
I am asking because here the most 'popular' and 'proven' nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug is Voltaren ( whose action from what i see is based on Diclofenac ). But everyone seems to swear to ibuprofen on the net so i was wondering if i should give it a chance. Also, pills or gel? Gel massage is what i use, but i've read its nonsence because the gel cant penetrate more than a couple of inches (shut up raptor!), so it can never reach the muscles.
Sooo off topic! 
no guarantees that it's not placebo or some other psychosomatic thing, but for me ibuprofen is the most effective NSAID, for inflammation and pain both, although with an internal injury like the hip one (i have a gnarly burn on my leg, too, from hitting the deck on a defensive play) it's hard to say what the inflammation is like. i'm just going based on discomfort.
naproxen, in my experience, is useless. aspirin is hit-or-miss. don't know anything about diclofenac.
incidentally, ibuprofen is also best for hangovers, in combination with coffee.
always pills. never heard of gel NSAID.