So, not surprisingly, I have been having issues with my joints, with my right knee being the most problematic of all my joints. For at least a year or two, my knee has made crackling sounds when I go down stairs. Then, one day, I was going down the stairs, and felt a sudden stab of pain in my right knee. I nearly collapsed and grabbed onto the railing. It's like my knee just decided to give up. I was able to sort of catch my breath and finish the task at hand. But ever since that day, my knee just stayed "messed up." I could hardly walk, could hardly bend over, and when I first got out of bed in morning, I almost had to crawl to the bathroom on my hands and knees.

So at my most recent doctor appointment, I told my doctor what was going on. I tried to articulate that my knee felt unstable, not worn out. So he began to examine it, pressing on various parts of my knee. At one point, there was an audible pop sound, which hurt.

He ultimately decided that Diclofenac was the right medication for me. On day one of the medication, there was no change. After about a week on the medication, my knee felt about 90% better, and the crackling was even gone. In the latest development, the crackling has returned, and I have occasional moments of slight instability or pain, but overall, my knee still feels about 90% better.

So has anyone else had experience with Diclofenac or a similar NSAID? Is it really helping, or is it just masking an underlying issue?