Raise your hand if this sounds familiar:

You wake up in pain—slowly working your way out of bed, stretching and wincing as you go. Before you even brush your teeth, you’re popping an ibuprofen, hoping it'll get you through the day.

I get it. When you’re hurting, you want relief fast. And NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like Advil and Aleve) can seem like the easiest fix.

But here’s the problem: that little pill you’re reaching for each day might actually be keeping you stuck in a cycle of pain and inflammation long term. I k...