Oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) are commonly prescribed to help relieve joint pain, but we should not ignore all the perilous side effects like heart failure, liver malfunction, kidney failure and bleeding ulcers.
Clearly they are not great for regular use.
So how can you keep your joints healthy?

1. Get up and exercise Have you seen people who exercise regularly looking dull and restless? Hardly ever right? Exercise benefits the overall health of a person and promotes joint health too when done correctly.
   In contrary it is the lack of physical activity that affects joints and causes them to become weaker.
   To start exercising, if you have not done so before, experts advise that it should be done gradually and then slowly move up.
   Exercising the wrong way will put your joints and muscles in jeopardy.
   Exercise to be healthy not to injure yourself.
   If it is not possible for you to engage in vigorous activity then try low-impact exercises such as like walking, step aerobics, rowing and swimming, all of which offer many health benefits.
   
2. Maintain an optimal weight Research shows that even a slight 5 percent drop in body weight can have an impact on reducing joint pain and improving exercise tolerance.
   Did you know that for every kilogram (or 2.
   2 pounds) of extra body weight, about 4 kilograms is exerted on the knees? Losing weight will free up the additional force stress exerted your knee joints.
   Overweight people tend to suffer joint pain (such as gout) compared to those who are not
3. Eat high quality foods and quality fish oil Choose quality natural foods over processed ones (sugared drinks included).
   Eliminate starchy carbohydrates (e.
   g.
   white flour) and sugars for they are detrimental to good health and flexible joints.
   Fructose, a sugar commonly used in processed foods, stimulates the production of uric acid which attacks the joints.
   Omega 3 fatty acids are essential to reduce inflammation.
   Choose your source of Omega 3s from a high quality fish oil, like krill.
   
4. Maintain an optimal vitamin D level Vitamin D plays an important role in maintaining a healthy immune response.
   When the levels fall, you give up the support this vitamin offers for your joints and your whole body.
   In one health report, low levels of vitamin D was found to boost older women's risk for hip fracture by more than 70 percent.
   This adds weight to the recommendation that people should maintain adequate intake of vitamin D, which is primarily made by the skin when it is exposed to sunlight.
   As little as 10 to 15 minutes of sun a day can supply all the vitamin D you need.
   However when that is not possible, Dr.
   John Cannell of Vitamin D Council recommends using a full-spectrum sun tanning bed or oral/sublingual vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) supplementation.
   Oral doses can range anywhere between 4000 to 10,000 IU but you will need to get your vitamin D level tested in order to determine the amount to take.