I Was Diagnosed With RA, I Had Been On Prednisone

I was diagnosed with RA, I had been on prednisone and wanted to be on an over the counter med. After weeks of cutting back the orednisone,,,I am now finished. I heard Aleve was a good substitute and have been taking one tablet a day. It does take hours before I experience a slight improvement in movement, The doc prescribed Voltaren 1% gel. My question is...would it be better to use the gel ( since I get faster relief) than the oral Aleve. I am 79 years old and have Gurd occasionally. Thank you for your response.