Pain is a neurological reaction that helps protect your body from harm. However, chronic or continuous pain for a long time can have serious physical and emotional implications. If you have been dealing with constant pain that makes your daily life difficult, you should see a doctor for treatment.

Everyone feels pain differently, depending on the cause. It could be acute pain with a shooting or stinging sensation or it could be a dull throbbing sensation. MedsNow offers a wide range of medicines for managing pain effectively.

1. Nociceptive Pain

Nociceptive pain is felt when the neuro system detects harm or potential harm to the body. For example, pain caused by a sports injury or a burn injury is called nociceptive pain. Other examples are – 

• Radicular Pain: Pain caused by irritation to the nerve root in the spine. 

• Somatic Pain: Nociceptive pain that is felt only upon movement is somatic pain, such as at the location of a cut or bruise.

2. Neuropathic Pain

Neuropathic pain does not have any known cause. It is usually caused due to misreading signals between your nerves and the brain. For example, due to nerve damage or an infection. It includes the feeling of numbness or weakness. The following conditions are examples of neuropathic pain – 

• Complex Regional Pain Syndrome: The Complex regional pain syndrome or CRPS, also known as reflex sympathetic dystrophy is neuropathic pain. CRPS is chronic and usually affects your limbs. It is caused by damage to or malfunction of the peripheral or central nervous systems. Reasons include heart attack, stroke, or injuries.

• Sympathetically Maintained Pain: Pain that can be relieved by sympatholytic procedures is known as a sympathetically maintained pain.

• Fibromyalgia: Fibromyalgia is a condition that is caused by excessive emotional or physical stress. It causes widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, and sleep loss.

• Interstitial Cystitis: Interstitial Cystitis causes pain and pressure in the bladder, along with a frequent urge to urinate.

• Irritable Bowel Syndrome: This is a condition that affects the large intestine causing cramping and abdominal pain. IBS is a chronic condition.

Your body feels pain when a series of signals from your nervous system reaches your brain. These signals could be a result of damage, inflammation, or irritation somewhere in the body. The intensity of the pain you feel helps you understand the extent and source of damage your body has sustained. When the source of the pain is resolved with treatment, the signals stop and you no longer feel the pain. Here is a look at some examples of causes of pain;

1. Headaches – Headaches are a key reason for discomfort and reduced productivity. Explore our range of headache treatments on MedsNow.

2. Facial Pain – Not as common as headaches but can cause debilitating discomfort for the patient. Usually treated with injections to the local nerve tissue.

3. Trigeminal Neuralgia – A condition that causes intense shooting pain in the face.

4. Peripheral Nerve Pain– Also known as neuropathy, caused by damage or dysfunction of nerves.

5. Coccydynia – Pain in the region of the tailbone. Could be caused by trauma, other causes are still unknown. 

6. Compression Fractures – This is a common condition in the elderly due to osteoporosis or loss of calcium in the bone.

7. Postherpetic Neuralgia – Can affect only those who have had chickenpox once in their lives. Causes nerve damage in the spinal cord and chronic pain.

8. Myofasciitis and Torticollis – Pain in the muscles of the neck or back is known as myofasciitis. Stiffness in the neck muscles due to a spasm is called Torticollis.

9. Piriformis Syndrome – Pain in the leg caused by a spasm in the hip muscles affecting the sciatic nerve.

10. Plantar fasciitis and lateral epicondylitis – Plantar fasciitis is heel pain and lateral epicondylitis is a pain in the elbow, also known as a ‘tennis elbow’. Usually, the causes of such pain are occupational.

11. Cancer Pain – Any kind of pain resulting from the presence of cancer in the body or the treatment of cancer is known as cancer pain.

There are a plethora of pain relief medications available on prescription or over-the-counter on MedsNow to help with the treatment of pain. But, the thing to remember is that pain killers don’t treat the condition itself, they only block the pain signals to the brain to offer relief. Here are some effective pain relief medications – 

1. Non-steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs). Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) relieve pain that is associated with inflammation by reducing inflammation and temperature. NSAIDs are also available over the counter and are effective pain killers for headaches, mild back pain, period pain, colds, and flu. Some examples of Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs include:

• Ibuprofen

• Diclofenac

• Naproxen

• Cuprofen

• Celebrex

• Flurbiprofen

2. Opioid Medicines. Opioid medicines work on brain receptors to bring relief from chronic pain caused by surgery, terminal illness, or serious injury. Examples are:

• Dihydrocodeine

• Codeine

• Co-codamol

3. Paracetamol and Codeine. Paracetamol is a common medicine used to treat mild to moderate pain and fever in adults and children. Codeine is an opiate medication used to treat pain, coughing, and diarrhoea. A combination of paracetamol and codeine is highly effective in most cases. Examples are – 

• Zapain

• Kapake

• Solpadol

4. Dihydrocodeine and Paracetamol. Dihydrocodeine is a morphine alkaloid used to treat moderate to severe pain. This is often used in combination with paracetamol. Some examples include –

• Remedeine Forte

• Co-dydramol

5. Gel and Sprays. Pain relief gel and sprays are topical pain relievers to be used externally. They help relieve inflammation and pain. Here are some common gels and sprays – 

• Biofreeze Pain Relief Gel & Biofreeze Pain Relief Spray 

• Phorpain (Ibuprofen) Max Strength 10% Gel: 

• Voltarol Joint Pain Relief 2.32% Gel & Voltarol Back & Muscle 1.16% Gel

6. Salonpas Pain Relief Patches: Pain relief Patches are medicated plaster used for the symptomatic relief of pain of muscles and joints associated with strains and sprain.

7. Other Treatments: Apart from medications there are various medical procedures to help relieve chronic pain. For example – 

• Nerve blocks

• Spinal Therapy

8. Drug-Free Pain relief: Various therapies such as physiotherapy, natural therapy, and electrotherapy are also helpful in relieving pain. Some examples include – 

• TENS machine

• Acupuncture

• Heat and cold

• Complementary therapy

• Occupational therapy and physiotherapy

1. How do pain relief patches work? Pain relief patches are ultra-thin, highly stretchable pieces of fabric containing anti-inflammatory medicine. When applied to the skin, the patch helps to deliver the medicine directly to the site of pain thus providing immediate relief.

2. What are the signs you need to see a doctor for pain? If you have chronic pain i.e. continuous pain in any part of your body that has lasted for more than a few weeks, you should see a doctor for your pain.

3. Can I take paracetamol and ibuprofen at the same time? Taking paracetamol and ibuprofen at the same time is possible if required. Depending on the level of discomfort paracetamol and ibuprofen doses may be taken together or spaced out. Usually, ibuprofen is prescribed to be taken after food. Taking paracetamol and ibuprofen together is not recommended for children below 16 years of age.

4. What should I do if I take too much paracetamol? A paracetamol overdose may lead to liver damage. More than 150mg of paracetamol in a single dose can cause liver failure due to toxicity.

5. What else can I do to manage my pain? There are various procedures to help relieve pain without medication. Some of these are – 

• Acupuncture

• Aromatherapy

• Biofeedback

• Hypnotherapy

• Massage

• Homeopathy

• Relaxation therapy

• Tai Chi

• Chiropractic

It is always advisable to consult a medical practitioner before opting for an alternative treatment.

6. Are there any common errors that people make when taking painkillers that might make them less effective? Pain killers are usually prescribed to be taken after food. If taken on an empty stomach pain relief medicines may cause nausea or vomiting. Also, if you are pregnant, do not take any pain killers without consulting your gynaecologist. 

7. Which medicines work with what kind of pain? For pain associated with inflammation, such as back pain, muscle strain, etc. paracetamols or any other anti-inflammatory medicines are usually prescribed. For neuropathic pain, pain medicines are usually capable of influencing the nervous system. Always consult a doctor before deciding which pain medication is best suited for you.

8. What impact can medicine have on your pain? Pain relief medications work almost immediately and the effect can last up to several hours depending upon the intensity and cause of pain.

9. What is acute pain? Acute pain is a sharp painful sensation that warns you of disease or injury to your body. Usually, this is associated with a cut or strain that affects the soft tissues.

10. What is chronic pain? Chronic pain is a continuous pain due to a prolonged illness or severe injury, which continues long after the cause of the pain has healed. 

11. What are analgesics? Analgesics are medicines that are meant for reducing the symptoms of pain such as paracetamols, NSAIDs, and opioid analgesics.

12. Can I use pain relief medication if I am pregnant? Paracetamol is generally safe to take in pregnancy. However, you should always consult your gynaecologist before opting for any pain relief medication or alternative pain relief treatment during pregnancy.

13. I can't swallow tablets, are there any alternative forms of treatment? Pain relief medicines come in various forms apart from tablets. You could opt for the following forms of medication – 

• Capsules

• Caplets

• Soluble tablets

• Buccal tablets (dissolves on the tongue)

• Liquids/suspensions

• Powder sachets

• Topical gels

• Suppositories

• Patches