Maker Withdraws Vioxx.

This article focuses on acute and chronic pain,which characterize most conditions that sports medicine physicians treat. Though cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors are no more effective for the treatment of pain and inflammation than other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, their gastroprotective effects have made them an attractive option for patients who are at risk for gastrointestinal bleeding, particularly those who are on longterm pain medication for conditions such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. The US Food and Drug Administration approved the first COX-2 inhibitor in 1998, followed by rofecoxib and valdecoxib.