Many types of medicine for muscle and joint pain are available over the counter. But muscle and joint pain can be the result of injury or the symptom of a serious disease or chronic illness, such as arthritis, lupus or hepatitis. For that reason, a person experiencing muscle or joint pain should seek treatment from a physician, who will determine the proper course of care and prescribe any needed medication based on the cause and severity of the pain.
Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs
A 2005 article by Dr. Byron Cryer that was published in "The American Journal of Gastroenterology" states that over 60 million Americans regularly use NSAIDs each year. NSAIDs reduce the production of prostaglandins, chemicals in the body that cause pain and inflammation. OTC NSAIDs include aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen. Drugs such as etodolac, nabumetone and indomethacin are available by prescription. Overuse and overdosing of NSAIDS can be dangerous. Cryer wrote that regular use of NSAIDs can result in serious gastrointestinal injury and even death.
COX-2 Inhibitors
COX-2 inhibitors are very similar to NSAIDS but typically result in fewer gastrointestinal injuries. COX-1 and COX-2 are the specific enzymes that produce prostaglandins in the body. Some NSAIDs block COX-1, but not COX-2. COX-2 inhibitors are used to treat menstrual cramping, muscle injuries and arthritis. In the United States, as of 2010, the Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of Celebrex, Vioxx and Bextra as COX-2 inhibitors.
Narcotics
Narcotics are powerful psychoactive drugs that doctors sometimes prescribe to treat severe pain. Psychoactive drugs affect the body's central nervous system. Oxycodone, hydrocodone, propoxyphene and codeine are types of narcotics used to treat muscle and joint pain. Doctors are sometimes reluctant to prescribe narcotics for chronic pain because of their addictive nature. There is some indication that long-term narcotics use may actually increase pain perception. In the August 2007 issue of the "Journal of Addictive Diseases," Dr. Norman S. Miller wrote that in some cases, patients reported decreased pain levels after the cessation of narcotics.
References
- "The American Journal of Gastroenterology"; NSAID-Associated Deaths: The Rise and Fall of NSAID-Associated GI Mortality; Byron Cryer, M.D.; April 2005
- FDA: COX-2 Selective
- "Journal of Addictive Diseases"; Opiate Prescription Medication Dependence and Pain Perceptions; Norman S. Miller, M.D.; August 2007
