The tough part is that there are so few remedies for pain, and the medical business responded to the relatively small number of opioid abusers (vs. the much larger number of legitimate users) by making it virtually impossible for those in chronic pain to obtain something that can be effective with minimal downsides when used responsibly. I know of people who used it for years in just that manner.
My rotator cuffs are beat up and I’m sore a lot, but if I take ibuprofen it’s like I’m 20 years old again.
The problem is I know it’s bad for you so I try to only take it when the pain is pretty bad.
I recently had a hernia surgery and I took a bunch of ibuprofen for about 10 days after and it was like there was nothing wrong with my shoulder.