Arthritis symptoms: 'It's questionable if painkillers even work that well,' says doctor
“The use of anti-inflammatories and strong pain killers is probably greater than it needs to be,” Dr Donald Grant began, going on to cite research published in the British Medical Journal. “Research 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,” he highlighted. “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.”
Dr Grant continued: “Taking these and other studies into account, it’s questionable if conventional painkillers even work that well on reducing the pain caused by arthritis.”
In addition, the doctor pointed out that painkillers “carry many unpleasant side effects”.
“Some of the more common side effects of NSAID for longer periods of time can be an upset tummy, blurred vision, dizziness and nausea,” he clarified.
Versus Arthritis – a leading charity – stated that paracetamol can damage the liver, hence why they’re not suitable for long-term use.
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