Chiropractor Jim McDermott has mixed emotions about Vioxx and Bextra.
Vioxx relieved his aunt's arthritis pain but she suffered a heart attack at age 40.
Vioxx was banned in September and Bextra was pulled this month after concerns arose that the drugs increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Patients with osteoarthritis often experience pain because cartilage around joints has worn down.
The YMCA in Wilkes-Barre and Pittston run aquatic exercise programs along with the Wyoming Valley Catholic Youth Center in Wilkes-Barre.
HealthSouth in Wilkes-Barre runs a similar program at the Odyssey Fitness Center in Wilkes-Barre, and there are other programs available at some area schools with pools.
There are a number of natural remedies on the market that sound a bit fishy.
With high interest in shark fin soup and shark fins as jewelry in addition to the interest in the fish for arthritis treatment, "finning" is rampant worldwide.
"One thing the public has to be aware of is that these have the potential for side effects," said Dr. Martin Blidner of the Arthritis Center in Wilkes-Barre.
Glucosamine and Chondroitin have shown promise in providing osteoarthritis pain relief.
There's a comprehensive study under way of these two dietary supplements that should be complete later this year.
"If you are the person in charge of procurement for a company, and you can buy these things from India for 50 cents a bottle, or you can get them from a company in Pittsburgh for $4 a bottle, a lot of people are going to buy an inferior product for 50 cents a bottle so the company can make a bigger profit," McDermott said.
Diet can have an impact on arthritic pain as well.