Who would have thought this would be the title for an osteopathic blog.

The obituary of Stewart Adams, who has died aged 95, (Daily Telegraph 4/2/19) shone a light on a long and productive life. The title “Self-effacing pharmacist who developed the painkiller ibuprofen and tested it on his own hangover” painted a picture of a man who excelled in his professional field, through a mixture of hard work, dedication, perseverance and some luck. In addition, a very genuine and deep desire to help people provided the steam for his engine. His comment in 2007 sums this up: “I would have liked to find something curative in rheumatoid arthritis, not just palliative. But when people….come up and say that they have taken the drug and it has really worked, that is when you think you might have achieved something.”

At northlondonosteopaths, Alan Nevies and associates use manual techniques and physical therapies to help the symptoms their patients present with. However, part of the advice given may include taking ibuprofen when indicated. This is for a number of reasons.

When a joint or muscle is damaged a localised inflammatory reaction is caused in which the area around the injury and sometimes beyond will go into spasm and cause pain. Sometimes the use of cold compresses is sufficient to reduce symptoms but on other occasions NSAID drugs, like ibuprofen should be used to help reduce symptoms and also to reduce the inflammatory reaction taking place. Ibuprofen Gel is very useful when treating a superficial localised joint complaint, but it should be remembered that even using a gel will be absorbed by the bloodstream and pregnant and/or feeding mothers should consult with their GPs before taking it.

Ibuprofen was originally created to treat Rheumatoid Arthritis but its pain reducing efficacy means it can help so much more. However, as with most drugs there may be side effects and care should be taken on dosages in order to prevent abdominal problems.