How does pain meds work

Painkillers are medicines that are used to treat pain. There are a large number of painkillers available and they all come in various different brand names. They can be taken:. Even though there are a large number of painkillers available, there are only three main types each works in a different way. They are:. Different types of painkillers are sometimes combined together into one tablet - for example, paracetamol plus codeine co-codamol.

In addition to the above, some antidepressants and antiepileptic medicines can be used to treat neuropathic pain. The rest of this leaflet does not discuss these types of medicines. For more information on them see the separate leaflet called Neuropathic Pain. There are also other alternative methods for pain relief such as, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation TENS machine. If you're one of the nearly half of UK adults taking at least one regular medicine, there may co COX enzymes help to make other chemicals called prostaglandins.

Some prostaglandins are involved in the production of pain and inflammation at sites of injury or damage. A reduction in prostaglandin production reduces both pain and inflammation.

See the separate leaflet called Anti-inflammatory Painkillers for more details. Paracetamol - no one really knows for sure exactly how paracetamol works. But it is also thought to work by blocking COX enzymes in the brain and spinal cord central nervous system. Paracetamol is used to treat pain and to lower a high temperature. However, it does not help with inflammation. Opioids work by binding to certain receptors opioid receptors in your central nervous system, your gut and other parts of your body.

This leads to a decrease in the way you feel pain and your reaction to pain, and it increases your tolerance for pain. See the separate leaflet called Strong Painkillers Opioids for more details.

Paracetamol is normally prescribed if your pain is not too serious and you do not have inflammation. NSAIDs are generally prescribed for people who have pain and inflammation - for example, if you have pain in your joints arthritis or muscles back pain.

This is because there is likely to be some inflammation present and NSAIDs work well to treat pain as well as inflammation. NSAIDs have a number of possible side-effects and they are not suitable for everyone. For example, they are not suitable for people who have or have had stomach ulcers. In this case a doctor may prescribe a safer medicine paracetamol even though it may not work as well. NSAIDs can be used with heat and ice treatment in joint, muscle or ligament injuries.

See the separate leaflet called Heat and Ice Treatment for Pain. Stronger opioids are normally used to treat severe pain - for example, cancer-related pain, pain after an operation, or if you have had a serious injury.

Anti-inflammatory medicines used as a cream topical painkillers are mainly used to treat pain in your soft tissues and muscles.

See the separate leaflet called Topical Anti-inflammatory Painkillers for more details. These highlight some of the risks of side-effects of pain medications, including addiction with strong opioid painkillers. This means your doctor will recommend that you take most painkillers for the shortest time possible, in the lowest dose that is effective. If you have concerns, please speak with your doctor or pharmacist. People who are in pain all the time are usually recommended to take painkillers regularly.

For example, if you have been prescribed paracetamol you will normally take it four times a day, every day until the pain is better. Otherwise, you only need to take painkillers when you need them. If you are taking an NSAID such as ibuprofen or diclofenac, you will need to take this with or after food. This is because they can irritate the lining of your stomach and sometimes cause bleeding in your stomach.

Like all medicines, painkillers should be taken for the shortest period of time possible, in the lowest dose that controls your pain. This is to help avoid any side-effects. Richard Day has received consulting fees, paid to his institution, from GlaxoSmithKline Australia, and fees for meeting participation from Reckitt Benckiser.

This is an article from Curious Kids , a series for children. All questions are welcome — serious, weird or wacky! I want to understand how pain medicine like Panadol works in our body. In short, pain medicine is able to block the processes that cause the feeling of pain.

To understand why, we need to explain a bit more about how pain works. Pain happens when electrical signals travel from the spot where you hurt yourself up your nerves, to the spinal cord and then up to the brain.

So when we feel pain from a burnt hand, we quickly remove it from a fire. Or if a dog bites us, the pain tells us to run away. So even though pain hurts, pain is important. It can protect us from more injury. Feeling no pain at all is actually quite dangerous. They are very effective, but they can sometimes have serious side effects. There is also a risk of addiction. Because of the risks, you must use them only under a doctor's supervision. There are many things you can do to help ease pain.

Pain relievers are just one part of a pain treatment plan. The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice.

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