Pain is something we all experience from time to time. Most aches and pains are a minor nuisance, rather than a serious problem, but six million people in the UK suffer from chronic and persistent pain on a daily basis.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen are widely prescribed to treat acute and chronic pain. Although they are effective analgesics, they are associated with a number of adverse events, including kidney damage, exacerbation of asthma and gastric ulceration. Recently, the use of NSAIDs was found to increase the chance of developing heart failure in older people; one recent study showed that taking an NSAID increased the risk of a first hospital admission for heart failure by 30%.

For those with previous heart failure, taking such a drug increased the chance of admission to hospital almost nine-fold.1 NSAIDs have also been associated with the appearance of psychiatric symptoms, including changes in mood and thought processes and exacerbation of preexisting psychiatric problems.2 A number of NSAIDs have also been withdrawn due to increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Overall, it is estimated that around 25 million prescriptions are issued for them in the UK each year, resulting in 12,000 admissions to hospital to treat serious side effects and as many as 2,600 deaths.3

Many people therefore prefer to try a natural alternative especially for treating arthritis. Whereas NSAIDs can only damp down inflammation and pain, food supplements such as glucosamine plus chondroitin have the potential to halt the degenerative effects of osteoarthritis.