The most common treatment for arthritis and chronic joint pain such as fibromyalgia is Non-Steroid Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAID’s)
Some common symptoms of arthritis and joint pain are pain, stiffness, reduced joint range of movement and limitations to normal daily activities, such as getting up from a chair, walking, balance and ascending/descending stairs.
However, long-term use of NSAID’s are not ideal as they can have negative side effects such as causing stomach upset and dizziness.
Bristol based GP Dr Donald Grant gives four bits of advice on the effectiveness of painkillers, how long you should use them for and what's a good natural joint pain relief alternative.
1. Painkillers are not necessarily more effective while causing more side effects
For the treatment of joint inflammation and arthritis the use of anti-inflammatories and strong pain killers is probably greater than it needs to be and there is no concrete evidence that strong anti-inflammatories are any more effective than mild ones.
The potential risks of NSAID’s are well known which is why some patients understandably wish to avoid taking anti-inflammatory tablets for long periods.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that research published in the British Medical Journal concluded that long term use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, commonly prescribed in the UK for arthritic type pain, were only slightly better than placebo.
Other studies looking at the value of Paracetamol and Ibuprofen in the treatment of arthritis could not reliably conclude whether Paracetamol was better than Ibuprofen or whether either was better than nothing at all for ‘arthritic’ pain.
So, taking these and other studies into account, it’s questionable if conventional painkillers even work that well on reducing the pain caused by arthritis yet they carry many common side effects which are not very pleasant for the patient.
2: How long is too long when it comes to taking painkillers?
There is not set answer to this as it depends on the individual. However, even if a patient is trying to avoid long term use of strong painkillers, sometimes it’s necessary to use an anti-inflammatory for a week or two to dampen down inflammation.
3: Is mixing oral painkillers and topical pain relief creams generally safe, and is there a time limit?
Anything that can lower the reliance and habitual use of conventional painkillers is a bonus because they so often do carry negative side effects for many patients using them on a long-term basis. So combining them with topical natural pain relief with no negative side effects or time limit is exactly what’s needed when dealing with arthritic pain.
4: What would you recommend as a long-term topical pain relief alternative to painkillers?
The key is to reduce inflammation so anything that has similar effects on reducing inflammation without any negative side effects is, in my opinion, definitely worth trying, even if it can’t fully replace the use of painkillers if it can reduce the reliance on them then that is good result.
In my experience there’s good evidence for the efficacy of long chain fatty acids in preparations such as Actimas Celafen ™ for the treatment of chronic joint pain and stiffness.
Celafen™ is a natural product that works by lubricating the cell membranes and repelling inflammatory chemicals responsible for the pain, stiffness and reduced mobility associated with arthritis and contains the three ingredients celadrin ®, arnica and menthol.
It’s also proven to work quickly. within about 30 minutes, which is about the same if not quicker than a painkiller.
Several pieces of published research, including two studies published in the Journal of Rheumatology, have measured the effect that celadrin® has on arthritic symptoms with convincing results.
In my opinion if it can help reduce sufferer’s dependence on NSAIDs, and there is good evidence to suggest that it might, this can only be a good thing as joint pain is a chronic condition and long-term use of painkilling drugs is not an ideal solution.