Treating arthritis, yes, but not at any cost.

Suffering from inflammation, whether chronic or acute, can disable a moment of life and sometimes a lifetime. Some people suffer on a daily basis and have no other solution than to take anti-inflammatory drugs, often prescribed by the attending physician. Today, there are natural and safe solutions that can support you in your fight against pain.

What are anti-inflammatory drugs?

They are of two types, namely:

• Steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (SADs), more commonly known as corticosteroids, which are derived from cortisol and cortisone. Although they have been shown to be effective in chronic inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have impressive side effects:

Dry skin, weight gain, blurred vision, worsening health, blood pressure problems, digestive problems (from the most common ulcers to other life-threatening conditions). The dangers can sometimes be serious, affecting the psychological sphere by inducing manic syndromes or insomnia for example.

Although effective quickly, this line of anti-inflammatory drugs should not be taken without medical advice. The health risks are far too great. They are only available in pharmacies under strict medical prescription.

• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin or Ibuprofen for example. They are cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitors.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs cause COX blockade and thus a decrease in inflammation and its consequences. This type of medication is very effective in the acute phase of the disease, but unfortunately, they also have significant health contraindications. In fact, they damage the gastric mucosa, with an increased risk of ulcers as they are consumed. Thus, there is often a poor absorption of iron. The mucosa is in poor condition, so anemia is a reaction to the medication.

How to correct the damage caused by a damaged gastrointestinal mucosa?

A healthy and adapted diet must be put in place to provide all the minerals and vitamins we need. Indeed, mineral losses can be numerous. Filling these deficiencies through diet seems to be the most natural method. If, despite this, the losses are not sufficiently recovered, many food supplements will be able to compensate for these shortages such as iron, vitamin C, vitamin B12, vitamin B9 or vitamin C. Adapted dosages can be provided by your natural health therapist, according to your own needs. In addition, a healthy and natural diet that includes, for example, omega 3, allows for an improvement in so-called inflammatory pain.

Thanks to their analgesic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory properties, anti-inflammatories reduce both inflammation and its consequences, such as pain and fever. Unfortunately, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are sometimes used in excess and prescribed too easily by doctors. In most cases, they are abused, both in terms of the number of tablets ingested and the length of treatment. Some patients take these types of painkillers daily, and sometimes several times a day. When you've been taking anti-inflammatory drugs for a long time, it can be very difficult to get off them. Indispensable to stop living with pain, sufferers can't see the end of the tunnel other than through this type of medication.

In addition to the gastric concerns outlined above, taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can cause more discomfort, which can lead to other illnesses than those intended to be treated. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can impair kidney function, so be very careful.

Did you know that drug interactions are responsible for more than 100,000 hospitalizations per year in France? (Source: Les interactions médicamenteuses, guide d'information du Docteur Jean-Claude Rodet et Aline Moyon, Docteur en pharmacie)

So what are we waiting for to switch to natural care when possible?