Some occupations require the ability to ignore pain. Pain tolerance levels become as important as intelligence levels or skill levels. A smart highly skilled mason may be more unproductive and inefficient than an average Joe with average skills because Joe can handle pain better. Or a quarterback in the NFL. Or an infantry soldier or cowpuncher or trucker.
In the old west they used laudanum and whiskey and opium. Today we use opiates and whiskey and all sorts of modern drugs for pain. Cannabis has been touted as a good pain reliever.
The problem with artificial pain killers is that using them DURING the painful physical requirements of certain occupations or activities can make one not only less acute mentally but maybe even dangerous.
And pain relievers can have bad health effects worse than the long term effects of the pain itself, which in the case of arthritis seems to be zero. It hurts but it won't kill you. Unless if causes a sedentary lifestyle. That will kill you.
The best pain relievers I've ever found, and I've used them all, are the ones that make you feel really good. And when you're a guy who considers feeling really good to have entertainment value equalling fishing or surfing or scuba diving you will eventually partake of both at the same time. And immediately discover the recreational aspect of pain killers diminishes the recreational aspects of the sports because part of the enjoyment of the sports is being good at them.
Then there is emotional pain and all the phenomena revolving around physical pain apply. I am discovering as I move into the realm of 'older', a realm I thought I would never see and didn't really prepare for, that the skills of pain management are very much a necessity. Develop them now if you're still young. You WILL need them. My advice? Hot baths, massages and and a comfortable bed and recliner are going to serve you better than whiskey, weed and red devils. But whiskey, weed and red devils are like potato chips for me. I cant eat half a bag. Be especially leery of opiates.