There are basically two types of medications to us for joint pain: Anti-Inflammatory drugs, and, Medications that treat underlying conditions of joint pain such as arthritis.
Anti-Inflammatory drugs include Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory (NSAIDS) which include Aspirin, Ibuprofen (marketed under trade names such as Motrin, Advil, and others) and Naproxen (marketed under the trade name Aleve and others). These can absolutely help relieve pain, but these NSAIDS can have side effects, especially if you take them in does greater than the recommended dose and take them for a long time period. You also run the risk of your body becoming use to these NSAIDS where the reliving effect on your pain will lessen as you build a tolerance to them.
If your knee pain is caused by arthritis or other medical conditions, you may be prescribes such drugs as Plaquenil which are called Disease Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs (or DMARDS).
Your Doctor may also ask you to consider Corticosteroid (Cortisone) injections. I have had Cortisone injections in both my elbows on both sides of the joint. I am here to tell you that it worked and worked well for me, because I laid off using those elbows – basically gave up Ju-Jitsu for a year. However I regret ever getting them and advise all my friends with joint problems to not consider Cortisone. I have been told by Physicians Assistants and Army Medical personnel that Cortisone can degrade the joint – make the tendon endings weak (don’t know if that is true or not) but the actual Cortisone shot can leave a fluid cyst at the site which causes further problems. Apparently this was common to Cortisone treatments of Plantar Fascitis. Also, the pain can be masked and enable you to really do damage to that joint.
I would only consider Cortisone shots if the pain was unbearable, that I have tried all other treatments (ice, rest, etc) and nutritional (supplements) therapy, and then only consider Cortisone if I was going to be able to rest that joint and not use it much.
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