Natural Alternatives to Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)
Most people consider the use of aspirin, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen to be, for the most part, safe for relief of minor aches and pains. In recent years the FDA has increased the health warnings on these and other NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) to consumers. The FDA announced that NSAIDs will have to revise their labeling to include warnings about potential safety risks such as internal bleeding and liver damage. Most of us have most likely not paid much attention to the increased warnings. However, we may need to heed these warnings and seek alternatives to treat the conditions we generally use these medications for.
One drug of particular scrutiny was Pfizer’s commonly prescribed drug Celebrex. The FDA advised clinicians to prescribe the lowest effective dose. They also encouraged Pfizer to conduct a long-term study on the safety of Celebrex compared to naproxen and other similar drugs. Pfizer states they have accumulated extensive data on Celebrex for more than 10 years and 40,000 patients and would continue to do so in the future. Some of the multiple recommendations of the FDA for Celebrex are:
- Include boxed warning alerting of cardiovascular and gastrointestinal risk
- Contraindicate for patients who have recently undergone coronary artery bypass surgery
- Include a new medication guide as part of product labeling, further informing patients
Over the counter (OTC) drugs are also an area of concern to the FDA as mentioned above. They also have increased warnings and instructions.
- Include boxed warning alerting of cardiovascular and gastrointestinal risk for all products containing ibuprofen, naproxen, and ketoprofen
- Offer specific instructions about which patients should seek the advice of a physician before using these drugs
- Incorporate stronger reminders about limiting the dose and duration of treatment
- Issue warnings about potential skin reactions
Luckily, there are homeopathic alternative which are safe and effective in regulating inflammation. The medication I suggest most commonly is called Traumeel. Traumeel has none of these side effects. Furthermore, the makers of Traumeel, Heel USA, state on their Web site, www.heelusa.com, that there is no risk of overdosing, and it has no adverse renal, hepatic, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, or central nervous system (CNS) side effects. Listed in the Physicians’ Desk Reference (PDR), Traumeel is available in multi-dosage forms including an Rx injection solution and over-the-counter petroleum-free gel, tablets, ointment, oral vials, and oral drops. Traumeel, as well as all Heel products, are regulated by the FDA.
Although Traumeel comes in different forms, pills taken sublingually, cream applied topically, and an injectable form, I personally have found the injectable form to be the most effective and fast acting. However, you must seek a medical professional who is qualified to administer homeopathic injections. In general this includes M.D.s, D.O.s and D.O.Ms. I usually inject the medication into acupuncture points. By doing this the patient receives a dual treatment. They are receiving the homeopathic medication while simultaneously receiving an acupuncture treatment.
With all of the increased warnings on NSAIDs I strongly urge you to seek safe and effective alternatives. Ask your natural health care practitioner their opinions and suggestions. Also, do your own research. Self education is an important role in your healthcare. The more you know the easier it will be for you to make decisions about your health!
Photo courtesy stock.xchng, Rotorhead
Dr. Ricardo Morales
Ricardo Morales is a Doctor of Oriental Medicine. He owns and operates The Asian Healing Garden located in Sarasota, Florida and is an adjunct faculty member at The East-West College of Natural Medicine. Dr. Morales’ monthly contributions include articles focused on alternative health and wellness. Find him on Facebook. Read his articles here.
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I have to comment on this. Homeopathy is pseudo-science, and was created before we had any knowledge of modern medicine. It has failed numerous clinical trials, and there is zero evidence it works, and no rational scientific explanation for how it even could work. Homeopathy is based on diluting something to the point where not a single molecule of the original substance remains. In other words, homeopathic medicine is all the same, it's just water, or sugar (when given in a pill form.) See here for more info, or search the medical literature yourself.
http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4034
Please, please, please, if you have a medical condition or other health problem, see a real doctor. Failure to get prompt, good, medical treatment can lead to a lot of suffering, permanent problems, and in extreme cases where people turn to it for cancer and other serious diseases, even death. Don't play games with your health.
Chris, I totally respect your opinion and thanks so much for commenting. As someone who supports homeopathy I can only speak from personal experience when I say that for me I have had positive results from using both homeopathy and traditional medical care. I'm not certain that your statement, "Homeopathy is based on diluting something to the point where not a single molecule of the original substance remains." is completely accurate, however I would agree with you that any person seeking medical care, homeopathic or otherwise should do so from a trained professional in addition to doing their own personal and thorough research. In the end we are personally responsible for our healthcare and in no way do I or Modern Hippie Mag recommend or prescribe one treatment modality over another. Free will Chris, it's a beautiful thing.
Thanks for your reply. I didn't mean to make a controversial statement. Please ask those who practise homeopathy themselves what they base their practice on. We might disagree with the effectiveness, but I don't believe they will disagree with the basis for it.
As for the recommendation to seek a medical professional, this is always good advice. I am fortunate enough to live in Canada, so I would advise people to see a health worker, instead. We are fortunate enough to have access to doctors whose income is not dependant on the service provided. That doesn't mean there are not wonderful doctors in the US, but when you remove the potential for vested interests, on average, you get better advice. Thanks.
No way did I take your comment as being controversial, I love having an open conversation here and highly encourage it! As I am not a medial professional it would be irresponsible for me to attempt to address this issue from that standpoint, however if we have readers that can that would be great!
I have to say though that I completely agree with you that the US could take a few pointers from Canada regarding healthcare.
I understand your skeptisism. I was not always a fan of homeoppathics myself. However, I am a bit confused when you suggest to seek help from a "real doctor" … I am real and I am a doctor. I am thinking you meant a medical doctor. In which case you are correct I am not a medical doctor. However, I received my training in injection therapy by two medical doctors, and have gone on to more extensive training with Dr. Jan Kerschot M.D. I also work with a medical doctor in my practice. I also stated in my article to always seek help from a medical professional. I am lisenced both nationally and under my state guidelines. That has really nothing to do with the matter at hand though.
This article is not about the effectiveness of homeopathic medications but about alternatives to NSAIDS and other pain relieving medications that have SERIOUS side effects. Pain medications used by the main stream medical community only cover up the symptom of pain and does not fix the actual cause of the pain. Medical professionals that have thier patients best interest in mind will recommend pain management stategies that have little to no side effects first, such as homeopathic traumeel, capsacian, ect. and then council them on diet, lifestyle and exercise techniques in order to get to the root of what's causing the pain. Most traditionally trained medical professional don't have the time or training to provide adequate lifestyle recommendations to manage pain and therefore these patient would mostly likely benefit from seeking out an alterative medical practioner (such as Dr. Morales) that has experience in pain management.
It is true that homeopathics are diluted many times over. However, the complete manufacturing process is not of my concern. Just as most medical docors can not explain step-by -step how thier pharmaceuticals are manufactured. The important part is safety and effectiveness. There have actually been multiple scientific studies on Traumeel, which is FDA approved and published in the PDR. I encourage you to visit http://heelusa.com/Practitioners/ClinicalResearch... and read more for yourself. I can not make you a believer but simply give you the information to make your own educated decision. If allopathic medicine is your choice of health care I hope it brings only help to your life. Sincerely, R. Morales