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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Can Naproxen Be Taken For Knee Arthritis?

I have arthritis in my left knee cap which is giving me a lot of pain right up to my lower back. My doctor advised me to take naproxen twice a day but I am not happy to do so especially when I saw the adverse effects it could have. Could you tell me something good about it?
Thu, 12 Nov 2015
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General & Family Physician,  's  Response
Hi there.
Arthritic Knee can be a major hindrance to daily activities. Naproxen belongs to a class of drugs known as NSAIDS. They have more or less a similar side effect profile and amongst them Naproxen is supposedly safer than others.
Having said that i won't recommend it on a daily basis. You can take it for a week just to tide over the crisis. I suggest you take an extended action Paracetamol like Lanol ER or any similar combination along with Naproxen for added coverage. Paracetamol is safer on the long run.
After a week try using Paracetamol extended release only and see how the pain is. If it doesn't work Ultracet(a combination of Paracetamol and Tramadol which is an opioid) might help and is safer on the long run. On bad days you can take an additional Naproxen to help with the pain.
What helps along with medication is Physiotherapy to strengthen the Quadriceps muscles which takes a stress off your knee joints. Especially oblique fibres of Vastus medialis.
Either consult a physiotherapist to help and teach you these specific exercises or try finding them on the Internet. I cannot stress enough the long term benefits of physiotherapy as when started at the right time and done correctly can slow down joint degeneration and on the long term works wonders.
Hope this helps.
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Can Naproxen Be Taken For Knee Arthritis?

Hi there. Arthritic Knee can be a major hindrance to daily activities. Naproxen belongs to a class of drugs known as NSAIDS. They have more or less a similar side effect profile and amongst them Naproxen is supposedly safer than others. Having said that i won t recommend it on a daily basis. You can take it for a week just to tide over the crisis. I suggest you take an extended action Paracetamol like Lanol ER or any similar combination along with Naproxen for added coverage. Paracetamol is safer on the long run. After a week try using Paracetamol extended release only and see how the pain is. If it doesn t work Ultracet(a combination of Paracetamol and Tramadol which is an opioid) might help and is safer on the long run. On bad days you can take an additional Naproxen to help with the pain. What helps along with medication is Physiotherapy to strengthen the Quadriceps muscles which takes a stress off your knee joints. Especially oblique fibres of Vastus medialis. Either consult a physiotherapist to help and teach you these specific exercises or try finding them on the Internet. I cannot stress enough the long term benefits of physiotherapy as when started at the right time and done correctly can slow down joint degeneration and on the long term works wonders. Hope this helps.