Chronic or persistent pain is pain that carries on for longer than 12 weeks despite medication or treatment and is a common side effect of musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions such as arthritis. Community pharmacists will see patients suffering with joint issues every day, most of whom are seeking analgesics to control the pain. Yet, simple painkillers are not without risk and the potential long-term side-effects of some of the most popular analgesics was recently highlighted by the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
Over 20 million people in the UK live with a MSK condition and 47% of long-term sufferers in England take five or more medicines on a regular basis. In fact, 30 million prescriptions were dispensed for MSK conditions and joint diseases in England 2021–2022, highlighting the need for alternative treatments to avoid the risk of painkiller dependence or misuse.
As such, pharmacists and healthcare professionals have a responsibility to better educate patients on self-management techniques including lifestyle and diet changes, as well as the use of clinically backed supplements which may help to support joint health from the inside out and avoid the need for painkiller intervention.
Consultant rheumatologist, Dr Rod Hughes, comments: “Unfortunately, as there is no cure for arthritis it’s imperative that patients explore self-management options and implement lifestyle changes. Ideally everyone should have a tailored self-management plan in place to support and encourage positive changes in joint health.
I usually recommend regular gentle exercise and stretching to maintain flexibility and strengthen muscles around joints alongside a healthy balanced diet, which helps to keep your weight in check reducing the strain on load bearing joints such as knees and hips. In addition, adding an anti-inflammatory supplement may be of great help as all arthritis has a degree of associated inflammation.”
To support this, Lanes Health have developed an in-depth body map detailing how popular joint health supplement GOPO® Joint Health can support your patients live a life they love.
Click here to learn more.
GOPO® Joint Health is the only available product containing high levels of GOPO®, the galactolipid compound derived from Rosa Canina, with one study suggesting that GOPO® may be more effective for pain relief than paracetamol and glucosamine.
Clinical trials confirm that GOPO® has a favourable safety profile with no known side-effects, no known contradictions, and no interactions with other commonly used arthritis medications.
For more information, visit the GOPO® Website: www.gopo.co.uk or call Lanes Health: 01452 524012
