Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Ibuprofen: a Wonder Drug for Back Pain / Arthritis

Anyone who suffers from occasional severe back pain, as I do, should have on hand a bottle of ibuprofen. More than any other NSAID, this drug eliminates the agony of an injured back. It works even better than prescription pain medication, in my experience, although a combination of the two remedies is optimal.

Don't be afraid to pop those pills. The maximum dose an adult can take is substantial, and you can take several pills at a go. In the worst cases of pain, I have taken four 200 mg. pills at a time. The effects last up to several hours depending upon dosage. To those of you unconcerned about the pain, keep in mind that ibuprofen does more than reduce pain; it reduces inflammation, which hastens the healing process!

Due to my propensity for back injury, I consider ibuprofen an absolutely essential medicine to have on hand at all times. It can mean the difference between excruciating agony and the ability to sleep. I remember the last time my back went out on me, I was unable to move, and the slightest disturbance, from nothing more than the breeze of a ceiling fan, could trigger a severe and excruciating spasm. I was also unable to sleep due to recurrent spasms that lasted for over eight hours. Finally, after a friend went out to the store and brought back a bottle of generic ibuprofen, within an hour I felt relief and could actually sleep again.

I am not sure what ultimately causes back injury in the absence of an obvious accident, but I strongly suspect alcohol use as being a contributing factor. From long experience, I have come to conclude that drinking weakens the connective tissues in the joints and/or aggravates the condition of arthritis from which I suffer. For this reason, I have largely eliminated drinking from my life, other than the stray drink at a social party, and I recommend other arthritis sufferers do so as well.

I am skeptical that much benefit derives from regular use of glucosamine. Prior to most of my back injuries, I was taking 1500 mg of glucosamine per day, but felt no special protective effect arising from this substance. However, I did notice a reduction in crepitation, or the cracking sound that arthritic joints make. Therefore my verdict on glucosamine is undecided. I wish that more were known. However, there were no adverse effects whatsoever from my glucosamine regimen, and a supply can be had for as little as $5 every two months.

However, years into the aforementioned glucosamine regimen, I suffered a few back injuries as well as pain in other joints around the body. For this reason, I have discontinued my use of it for the time being. I have noticed that crepitation has increased since I quit using it, but I'm not sure whether or not that matters.

I suspect jogging especially aggravates, rather than helps, arthritis, while walking may be beneficial if done in moderation. I find that walking long distances aggravates the joints in the legs. For this reason I have toned down much of my former exercise regime.

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