In my last post I talked about cortisone injections not working and that it could be because the problem isn’t localized inflammation but instead systemic inflammation. 

How do I know if my inflammation is causing my problem?

Have you ever taken an NSAID and felt better? This would be Advil, Ibuprofen, Aleve, etc. THis is not Tylenol or acetaminophen, they are not NSAIDs. But, if you’ve taken one of the other ones listed and you felt better then you likely have an inflammation problem.

What about if those pills don’t work anymore?

Maybe you’ve used the NSAIDs and they worked for awhile but don’t worry anymore? This could be from a few things including you’ve built up a tolerance or you’re taking the wrong pill.

Building up a tolerance to anti-inflammatory pills

If you’ve built up a tolerance to the medication it means that your body has gotten used to the amount, the dosage, that you’ve been taking. Now you need more of the medication the have the same effect. If you think this may be you talk with your physician to see if you should take more. If you need an anti-inflammatory effect of the medication that requires more medication than just for a pain relief effect. Again, talk to your physician or healthcare provider who prescribes your medication what dosage is right for you.

Maybe you’re taking the wrong pill for your knee pain

I mentioned above that acetaminophen and Tylenol aren’t the same as NSAIDs. Acetaminophen and Tylenol are not anti-inflammatory medications and won’t have any effect on inflammation. They control pain and fever, not inflammation. If you are taking acetaminophen or Tylenol and looking for relief from inflammation it won’t help.

What to do instead for your knee pain

If you have inflammation, which you probably do, you need to do something about it. Anti-inflammatory treatments are going to help you get rid of your pain. But that doesn’t mean you need to keep doing all the things that aren’t working (like the cortisone injections and pills). The best way to get rid of inflammation causing your knee pain is to be proactive, not reactive. What I mean by this is choose foods and beverages that support your system, have anti-inflammatory effects or at least don’t lead to inflammation. Find the foods in your diet that have added refined sugars and get rid of them. Eat more foods with unsaturated fats like nuts, seeds, avocado, and eat more lean protein. What you put in your body through food and drink affects how your whole system works and can lead you in the right direction if you choose the right foods.

Let’s recap: Your pills may not be working for you because you’ve built up a tolerance to them and you need a higher dosage to have the same effect. Maybe you’re taking the wrong pills. If you’re taking acetaminophen, Tylenol or other medications that aren’t anti-inflammatory for an anti-inflammatory effect. The medications you take may address pain but if the underlying root cause is inflammation, those medications are only going to dull the pain. What’s the best thing to do instead? You can be proactive instead of reactive and eat foods and drink beverages that facilitate the anti-inflammatory effect in your body to decrease inflammation without pills at all.

If you’re looking for knee pain relief check out this free guide I created just for you