When Shouldn't Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Medications Be Used in Musculoskeletal Injuries?

The first non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), aspirin, is still used to treat aches and pains. It is unique in that it has many other useful properties above and beyond its effectiveness for arthritis and related problems.

The second NSAID was a drug called phenylbutazone (Butazolidin), which was eventually removed from the market by the FDA because of a myriad of side effects, among them being aplastic anemia, and stomach ulcers. "Bute" was also a favorite at the racetracks because its pain-relieving properties allowed horses to race "through the pain."

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Taking Aspirin Plus an Arthritis Medicine? Big Risk!

One of the most widely used class of medications for arthritis treatment is the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory group. These are drugs that block an enzyme called cyclooxygenase, the major player in inflammation.

Because non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) are so effective, they tend to be both widely used as well as widely abused.

This brief article will outline one of the risks that is apparent in older patients.

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How Safe Are Prescription Topical Non-Steroidal Drugs?

By Nathan Wei

The treatment of osteoarthritis is essentially palliative. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease where the articular cartilage- the gristle that caps the ends of long bones wears away. More than 20 million Americans suffer from osteoarthritis, making it the most common form of arthritis.

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Lupus: Explanation, Symptoms, and Diagnosis

The first thing to know about Lupus is that it is an autoimmune disease. An autoimmune disease is a condition in which the body's immune system attacks the very tissues it is supposed to protect. This leads to inflammation and damage to various body tissues. There are many different autoimmune diseases and they can affect almost any part of the body, including the heart, brain, nerves, muscles, skin, eyes, joints, lungs, kidneys, glands, the digestive tract, and blood vessels. Lupus is one of the most common of these diseases.

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Ankylosing Spondylitis: Explanation, Symptoms, and Diagnosis

What Is Ankylosing Spondylitis?

Ankylosing spondylitis is a form of progressive arthritis of the spine which caused by inflammation of the spinal joints. The word "ankylosing" comes from the Greek word ankylos, meaning stiffening of a joint and the word "spondylitis" comes from spondylo which means vertebra. Spondylitis is a general term for inflammation of the spine, its vertebra or other tissues.

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