Well, since we are all providing amateur suggestions without diagnosis, I'll jump in too.
Long-term use of NSAIDs (ie ibuprofen) can cause kidney problems; my wife's aunt is suffering from this now.
The key to NSAIDs is that they are anti-inflammatory, but it takes a high dose and a few days for the anti-inflammatory to kick in. A few years back I had some bursitis (or something similar) in my forearm/elbow. The pain causes inflammation and inflammation causes irritation which causes pain and the cycle repeats. 800mg of Motrin (ibuprofen) 3x/day for 7-10 can break the cycle. Many people quit after a few days when the pain goes away...but then it comes back.
