Originally Posted by
FBinNY
I often wonder how many would manage chronic issues by either just living with them, changing their diet or lifestyle, or seek less costly alternatives if they had to pick up the tab for maintenance scripts costing hundreds of dollars per month.
BY the same token, it seems that the medical industry has figured out that there's more money to be made in long term treatment than actual cures.
The American way. If it can't be fixed by a pill, then it can't be fixed.
I will say that somewhere between age 50 and 55, my dad's knees were giving him major problems. He had ridden his bicycle a lot when I was younger. It was about a 20 mile ride each way to work. Unfortunately, I think that had fallen by the wayside when he and my mother started carpooling once I got into gradeschool, and he never really resumed bike commuting even after moving closer to town.
He had started taking pretty high doses of an NSAID called Voltaren (diclofenac sodium), and had had several knee surgeries. And, around age 55, he had a bilateral knee replacement. And, I think his long-time use of Voltaren led to a ruptured Achilles Tendon just over age 60.
Anyway, my knees aren't good and have been problematic for a long time. But, since going from periodic commuting to essentially car-free, and loosing 10-20 pounds, they've been getting better and better (without drugs).
I do think people get into a cycle. Pain --> drugs --> more pain --> less activity and more drugs.
I'll use an NSAID once in a while to cut certain types of pain (neck cramp). But, absolutely not on a regular basis. Inflammation is part of the body's natural healing. And pain is just telling you something is being stressed.