Pain killers, help or harm?

image from here

A Swiss literature review has found that people who take painkillers regularly, such as those who take it for chronic pain of conditions such as arthritis,  double or even treble their risk of heart attack and stroke.
In response to these findings Professor Peter Weissberg, medical director at the British Heart Foundation, was quoted as saying:

"This confirms what has been known for some years now: taking non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs on a regular basis increases heart attack or stroke risk. However, some patients with debilitating joint pains may consider the small increased risk worthwhile when set against the improvement in their quality of life that these drugs bring." 

"Small increased risk" not sure about you but increasing my risk of death is something I like to avoid. In my humble opinion, drugs are the second to last resort, surgery being the last and the first should always be more a more natural approach. So things to do to curb pain:

1. Herbal anti-inflammatories - high strength fish oil, devils claw, turmeric, boswellia, ginger and black pepper are all good options
2. Movement - a small amount of exercise helps relieve pain, try short walks or aqua aerobics
3. Loosing some weight - takes extra strain off your joints
4. Changing your diet - eating highly inflammatory foods that irritate your gut add to the pain causing chemicals in your blood stream making you feel pain more. Try cutting out wheat, sugar and dairy and drinking more water and eating more green vegetables.
5. Chiropractic - visit your local Chiropractor for helpful diet and exercise advice as well as a soothing adjustment. 

Of course I am not adverse to taking a pain killer when things get unbearable, but remember that pain is a warning sign, if doing something hurts, your body is trying to tell you that what ever you're trying to do is bad for you. Listen to it. Pain killers are there to help you rest and heal, not to gag your bodies natural instincts and injure yourself even more.