Are There Cures for Arthritis?
If you are suffering from arthritis you probably know the answer already: There are no arthritis cures. All treatments deal with dampening the symptoms of arthritis pain. All chemical treatments have side effects that can be severe and with some drugs the effectiveness diminishes over time.
First Line of Action: Keep in Motion
The most important arthritis treatment is to maintain joint mobility and range of motion. Physical therapy and occupational therapy are important. Many drugs are now used to treat the inflammation and pain associated with arthritis.
Anti-inflammatory Drugs
Aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen (Motrin, and others), naproxen (Naprosyn, and others) and dicolfenac (Voltaren), have immediate analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects and are relatively safe in the use for arthritis pain.
Arthritis Dampening Drugs
Second-line drugs used for treatment include hydroxychloroquine, gold, penicillamine, azathioprine, sulfasalazine and methotrexate. These agents (which have no immediate analgesic effect) can control symptoms and may possibly delay progression of the disease, but many of them can also cause severe adverse effects and diminish in effectiveness over time.
NSAIDs are usually taken concurrently with the slower acting second-line drugs, which may take months to produce a therapeutic response.
Aspirin in high doses is as effective as any other NSAID and much less expensive, but some patients cannot tolerate the gastrointestinal toxicity. Aspirin interferes with platelet function and can rarely cause serious bleeding; this effect can persist for four to seven days after the drug has been discontinued.
Side Effects of Traditional Drugs
Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and rarely, hepatitis (liver inflammation) or renal (kidney) damage can occur with high-dosage aspirin therapy. Enteric-coated aspirin is safer but may not be fully absorbed.
Nonacetylated salicylates, such as sodium salicylate, salsalate (Disalcid, and others), and choline magnesium salicylate (Trilisate, and others), do not interfere with platelet function and may be safer than acetylated salicylates for aspirin-sensitive patients, but some clinicians have questioned their effectiveness.
A final word about cures for arthritis
As you can see over the counter drugs and prescription drugs offer no cure for arthritis but bring relief to arthritis pain. In my opinion it is ok to take them if you really need to. Be aware however if you take drugs day in day out that you may face severe side effects.
In your search for help on the Internet or elsewhere you may find advertisments that promise cures for arthritis. My advise - don't believe it.
Take over the counter drugs if you must but experiment with herbal remedies. You may be surprised how good they are.