Take painkillers only for serious pain

In a doctor’s waiting room the other day, a woman sat groaning for an hour and a half before she finally asked the nurse for an over-the-counter pain pill to relieve her headache. Although many people see pills as the answer to every ill, others avoid medications at all costs, much to their disadvantage.

Pain medication works best if taken at the first hint of pain, and may not work well at all if you wait too long. Dr Snyderman says to consider taking it before engaging in an activity, like heavy-duty gardening or chopping wood, which is likely to cause pain later. Before I had my arthritic knees replaced, I downed two ibuprofen tablets before every tennis match.