<p>Arthritis pain relief medicine can seem like a miracle to those who suffer this debilitating disease, but with more and more of the widely prescribed drugs that seemed to be working so well for people, are being pulled from the shelves and recalled because of widespread side effects, many people are turning to alternative medicine for arthritis pain relief.</p>
<p>Pain medicine for arthritis generally falls into three categories: the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS, often sold over the counter), narcotic pain medications, and steroids. While the risks of using steroids long term such as breakdown of bone tissue are generally well known, we are only now learning about the harmful side effects of prescription NSAIDS.</p>
<p>Arthritis pain relief medications such as the popular COX-2 inhibitors Bextra and Vioxx, have been put on hold since evidence that they might be linked to some serious problems, such as kidney and heart failure, hardening of the arteries and increased blood pressure. These are only some of the side effects reported, and are more often seen in the elderly, who were frequently prescribed these pills for arthritis and joint pain.</p>
<p>Narcotic pain medicine for arthritis, such as codeine or hydrocodone (Vicodin) comes with plenty of its own problems, the most serious of which is the potential to get addicted to it after long term use. Moreover, the body has a tendency to build up a resistance to these pain medications over time, which means that the patient must use larger doses of the narcotic to find relief, leading to the possibility of respiratory failure and even death.</p>
<p>Many people are now turning to alternative medicine for arthritis in the hope of getting lasting relief from their symptoms without the risks associated with pharmaceutical arthritis pain relief medication. There are many excellent natural choices that can stand on their own, but for those who don't have the time or inclination to mix and match ingredients until they find the right combination there are combination supplements which incorporate a host of trusted herbal ingredients to help your body create a natural pain response to deal with pain in the long term.</p>
<p>Alternative medicine for arthritis can also take the form of using supplements to help rebuild and strengthen the stiff or broken down cartilage that results from the disease. Supplements such as MSM, glucosamine and chondroitin are well known for their ability to help the body strengthen and repair joint cartilage, and using the three combined is a powerful "triple whammy" that will help your body replace, rebuild and repair the damage already caused to get you back on your feet.</p>
<p>The pharmaceutical industry has made arthritis pain relief medicine big business, but it seems that in their hurry to get these drugs out on the market, they may have sidestepped some important information. Chronic sufferers claim that using natural pain medicine for arthritis is almost always a better choice, as these remedies have been trusted for years and have few side effects.</p>
