Pain relievers are medications that reduce or relieve headaches, sore muscles, arthritis or other associated aches and pains, according to MedlinePlus. Over-the-counter medications such as acetaminophen and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are generally effective in treating minor conditions involving pain. Narcotics, however, are significantly more potent in quelling pain due to surgery or other body trauma that necessitates a higher dosage of relief.
Acute Pain Relief
Acute pain relief is usually being of recent onset, transient and usually from an identifiable cause, according to the American Chronic Pain Association. Generally, acute pain includes general soreness associated with minor muscle soreness, headache and other acute pains. Over-the-counter medications such as acetaminophen reduce the pain through a numbing effect. Unlike narcotics, acetaminophen no longer provides relief after a certain dose. Additionally, it is the medication most involved in overdoses, which can prove fatal, the American Chronic Pain Association warns.
Chronic and Flare-Up Pain Relief
Chronic or persistent pain is an ongoing or recurrent pain that lasts beyond the course of acute illness or injury of more than three to six months, according to the American Chronic Pain Association. Flare-up pain is often severe and excruciating, which regular treatment cannot control. It often appears during involuntary or voluntary physical actions---such as coughing or getting up from a chair--and indicates a change in an underlying disease. Opioids are the usual prescription for this type of pain, which are morphine-like substances that binds to receptor cells to prevent pain signals from reaching the brain. There are several types of opioids such as oral, intravenous and transdermal forms that are either long or short-acting, depending on the sufferers condition.
Anti-Inflammatory
Non-narcotic pain killers that treat acute pain such as headaches, arthritis and general soreness are the most common medication and are available over the counter. Unlike opioids, these medications provide an analgesic affect, which acts to numb pain and reduce the associated inflammation. The anti-inflammatory activity of aspirin, for example, circumvents the release of chemicals that cause surrounding tissues to swell. Topical pain killers such as creams and gels for arthritis may use aspirin-like rubs or ingredients such as menthol to reduce pain and inflammation, according to MayoClinic.com. Higher dosage treatments such as diclofenac epolamine are helpful in treating sprains and strains by numbing the area and reducing inflamed tissue.
Opioid Physical Dependency, Nausea, Sedation, Tolerance and Respiratory Depression
A major concern of opioid pain killers is the detrimental side effects of physical dependency, nausea, sedation, tolerance and respiratory depression. According to a 2008 National Institutes of Health study, the psychological addiction that occurs during opioid drug administration poses a plethora of complications that can outweigh the pain relieving qualities. Constipation and nausea, for example, are very difficult to control and can become severe enough that opioid therapy can no longer ensue. Tolerance to the drug can cause ineffective pain relief, which is usually indicative of a dependency. Excessive use of opioids can cause respiratory depression or shallow breathing that can lead to death due to a failure of proper oxygenation. Health care professionals should closely monitor individuals taking pain killers to avoid addictive patterns and control dosage.
References
- MedlinePlus: Pain Relievers
- American Chronic Pain Association: ACPA Consumer Guide to Pain Medication & Treatment (PDF)
- MayoClinic.com: Arthritis Pain Relief
- "Pain Physician"; Opioid Complications and Side Effects;Benyamin R, Trescot AM, Datta S, Buenaventura R, Adlaka R, Sehgal N, Glaser SE, Vallejo R.; March 2008
