i have just started taking tramal 50mg pill or tramadol as more commonly known. It is a kind of pain killer for the nerve pains. My doctor told me to just take a low dose of 50mg on the day I play badminton. It definitely has made my badminton session much more bearable ever since. All the pains over my body were almost entirely gone. I have not experienced any side effect of the drug but still afraid for any long term effect of using this.
Tramadol was prescribed to me after my Knee ACL reconstruction but I was able to manage with milder versions such as paracetamol hence didnt take it. All Painkillers will have side effects with long usage and so it is better to avoid them wherever possible. You can read more on the side effects in Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tramadol
Trust me, never take painkillers to play. I did that and now after 3 years my cartilage is busted. Only option left is the super expensive unproven stem cell treatment. Regret not listening to the body and toning down when I had the chance.
Not sure if it's good for joints but I take CherryActive tablets which helps muscle soreness and recovery. It also comes in juice concentrate form. Read about it being recommended by a premier league clubs nutritionalist.
For joints I would recommend Animal Flex. I just bought 3 tubs of that. A collection of all the best joint supplements in one place. Animal Flex has 44 packets (each packet contains 8 pills) Check out www.animalpak.com
I take fish oil, very good so far, glucosamine is another you could take in conjunction with the fish oil
