Americans reach for their medicine cabinet when they feel pain, whether it is a headache, backache, or sore muscle. Although a pain pill may be necessary for occasional relief, it can cause long-term harm if taken in excess.

People don’t think twice about taking painkillers such as Advil, Aleve and Motrin. These common medications belong to a category of drugs called Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drogues (NSAIDs). These drugs are known for causing gastric ulcers and other health problems such as heart attacks, gastrointestinal bleeding, kidney damage, liver disease, and cardiovascular problems.

Tylenol and Acetaminophen (or Tylenol) can cause liver damage in people who drink alcohol frequently. According to the Food and Drug Administration Osteoarthritis is a serious condition.” liver toxicity from acetaminophen poisoning is the most common cause of acute liver failure in the United States.

Taking more than the recommended dosage increases the risk of side effects, as does taking the drugs over a long period of time, Those managing chronic pain with NSAIDs or acetaminophen prove especially susceptible to damage.

Osteoarthritis patients often use over-the-counter or prescription painkillers to relieve pain and inflammation. But in doing so, they risk developing new health problems, some of which may prove life-threatening.

But there are other ways to treat pain. For example, the FDA has recently approved an at-home low-level laser device, the QLaser, for treating osteoarthritis in the hands. Low-level lasers have also been approved for treating carpal tunnel syndrome and myofascial shoulder pain.

Low-level laser therapy uses laser light to ease pain by stimulating endorphins, reduce inflammation and encourage cell regeneration. Long used by professional athletes and the British military, low-level laser therapy is non-invasive and produces no known side effects.

The low-level lasers approved by the FDA are completely safe. “Laser light can be as gentle as a butterfly’s kiss.” Dr. Larry Lytle, in his book “Universal Healer, Osteoarthritis,” “But it’s more effective from a healing perspective than drugs and surgery.”

For more information about the QLaser and to receive a free copy of Dr. Lytle’s book, “Universal Healer, Osteoarthritis,” go to www.qlasersolutions.com and enter the code 5385 in the dropdown menu.To receive a free information packet by mail, call 1-800-597-9231 and use the code 5385 when requested.

Dr. Lytle is available for interviews. To arrange an interview, please e-mail __cf_email__” href=”../../cdn-cgi/l/email-protection/index.html” data-cfemail=”204b49506052415049444e45540e434f4d0e”>[email protected]