VI. Drug Approaches to Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain

27. Dr. Fors, thank you for showing us how easy it is to rehabilitate chronic pain problems through effective home self-care products. However, the vast majority of people with pain turn to drugs. With the recent news about Vioxx and other NSAIDs health risks, is there a natural pain-relief alternative?

Yes, many well done scientific studies have shown that nutraceuticals are safe and effective in relieving chronic pain. These nutraceuticals are combinations of natural substances-botanical medicines, herbs, vitamins, minerals in high enough quantities to affect human physiology. Nutraceuticals are based on animal and human clinical trials that have proved their safety and effectiveness. There are excellent nutraceutical formulas that can help people lessen their pain while they release the underlying myofascial trigger points with the Fenix Rehab System. These nutraceuticals can help individuals reduce or eliminate their reliance on pain meds and NSAIDs, and lower their risk to possible side-effects or addiction.

28. Dr. Fors could you explain what NSAIDs like ibuprofen do, and what are there health risks?

NSAIDs are non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs, for example Advil, Motrin, aspirin, Aleve, Vioxx, Celebrex, Bexstra and many other prescriptions and over the-counter drugs. They primarily work by powerfully inhibit an enzymes in the body called the cyclooxygense enzyme system, or the Cox 1 and Cox 2 enzymes.

29. How do these NSAIDs drugs like Ibuprofen cause problems?

The Cox 1 and 2 enzymes in our tissues are of course involved with inflammation, however the body also uses these enzyme to protect valuable tissues or in the healing of damaged tissues. For example, Cox 1 enzymes maintain the lining of your digestive tract. This is why NSAIDs that inhibit Cox 1 enzymes such as ibuprofen will cause GI distress, gastritis, and ulcers. In fact 17,000 American bleed to death on the inside from NSAID use!

Cox 2 enzymes have been found to help maintain the healthy lining of our blood vessels. This why Vioxx was taken off the market; use of Cox 2 enzyme inhibitors has been shown to greatly increase the occurrence of heart attacks. Recently it has also been established that our Cox 2 enzyme helps in the healing of GI ulcers. Its also turns out that Cox 2 tissue enzymes are important to our kidneys. This may explain why some patients on Cox 2 NSAIDs develop problems with high blood pressure.

More importantly, a recent study by Krause, reported in Arthritis Rheumatology , showed that Cox 2 inhibiting NSAIDs may actually decrease your energy production at the cellular level. When muscle cells have decreased available energy (ATP) , this can lead to trigger point formation, as previously explained. Over time these Cox 2 NSAIDs may lower energy production in muscle cells, causing more pain and fatigue. A vicious cycle then begins, a cycle of more pain and fatigue, GI bleeding, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and the downward cycle of your health.

Many people may ask why? Its simple, its big money! There are drug commercials every 10 minutes on television for various pain relievers which have led to sky-rocketing profits. One manufacture of a Cox 2 NSAIDs had sales of 3.1 billion dollars in 2001, that's just one drug.

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