Relief of morning stiffness: a comparative study of naproxen and ibuprofen

Morning stiffness in 75 patients with mild to moderate rheumatoid arthritis was treated with 1600 mg ibuprofen 4-times daily or 750 mg naproxen twice daily after a placebo-induced flare of this symptom. With the final daily dose of each drug administered at bedtime, both drugs significantly reduced the duration and severity of morning stiffness compared to baseline values but, on average, duration of morning stiffness tended to be shorter for naproxen patients than for ibuprofen patients. No corresponding between-drug difference was found for severity of morning stiffness.