One thing that doctors rarely, if ever, bother to tell you is that NSAIDs, other than aspirin, reduce inflammation, then, when the drug is withdrawn or wears off, the inflammation rebounds at a higher level. Leading, of course, to dependence on the drug.

I get killer headaches from the TBI I had well over 2 and a half years ago. I was taking one Naproxen for them. But I've switched to one aspirin, and it seems to help enough to deal with them.

Other alternatives to meds, though, are Tang Kwei, an herb used in traditional Chinese medicine for menstrual cramps, but very helpful with chronic pain associated with muscle tightness around inflamed joints, relaxing herbs like jujube, the turmeric that Peggy mentioned, and making sure that you have adequate intake of the electrolytes that we all need: sodium, potassium, chromium, magnesium, calcium, etc.

Another thing is large amounts of good quality omega 3s. Be sure they're filtered well, as many of them contain impurities. But omega 3s are excellent for your joints, as well as assisting with mental clarity, as your brain really needs them. You COULD, if you ate a ton of salmon everyday, get the same result. But I LIKE salmon. I don't LOVE it. And I can well imagine that, even if I loved it, eating it two or three times a day, day after day, that the loving relationship might end.