If the ibuprofen you take for the pain in your joints winds up being a pain in the gut, think about adding a glucosamine supplement to your daily regimen. New research suggests it boosts the painkiller’s effectiveness, meaning you may be able to get by on less of it without sacrificing relief.

Glucosamine alone has long been used by arthritis sufferers to ease their achy joints, but it doesn’t work for everyone. In a recent study, researchers at Temple University School of Medicine found that combining it with ibuprofen got good results. They tested several glucosamine/drug combinations on mice, and found that ibuprofen was the only one that worked synergistically with glucosamine. Pharmacologist Ronald Tallarida, a study author, says he is still trying to understand the mechanism behind the effect.

The findings will need to be confirmed in studies with humans, of course. But many arthritis patients already take the combination—a boon for creaky joints and tender tummies.