Anti-inflammatory medications are, without a doubt, one of the biggest selling medication classifications in the Western world. According to the June 17, 1999 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, doctors wrote more than 70 million prescriptions for Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs or "NSAIDs." On top of that, more than 30 billion over-the-counter NSAID tablets (aspirin, Tylenol, Advil, etc.) were sold in the United States in that year. But while these medications offer temporary relief for our everyday aches and pains, what exactly is their function? Are they healing or are they masking beneficial symptoms? Are their better alternatives? The answers to these questions may surprise you. Read the rest of this entry »