Q12. What are anti-inflammatories?

A12. This is shorthand for ‘non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs’ or NSAIDs. These drugs are prescribed to reduce pain, swelling and inflammation in the joints but without using steroids to do so.

There are two types of NSAID’s: standard and ‘Cox 2 inhibitors’. The Cox-2 inhibitors are specific anti-inflammatory drugs which work in the same way as the standard version. They help to ease pain and inflammation but with fewer side effects.

These drugs are taken as capsules or tablet and by mouth. They often prescribed in conjunction with painkillers.

Learn more about these drugs in our medication for arthritis section.

Arthritis FAQs:

Arthritis FAQs

• Q1. What is arthritis?
• Q2. How common is arthritis?
• Q3. Does arthritis only affect older people?
• Q4. Why do many more women than men get arthritis?
• Q5. How many types of arthritis are there?
• Q6. What is the most common type of arthritis?
• Q7. Which joints are most likely to be affected by arthritis?
• Q8. What causes arthritis?
• Q9. What are the signs of arthritis?
• Q10. How is arthritis diagnosed?

• Q11. How is arthritis treated?
• Q12. What are anti-inflammatories?
• Q13. How do steroids work?
• Q14. What are disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs?
• Q15. What is methotrexate?
• Q16. What are anti-TNF drugs?
• Q17. What is Prednisolone?
• Q18. How do you cope with arthritis?
• Q19. Can you inherit an arthritis gene?
• Q20. Is there a cure for arthritis?