Pain Medications

• What Is Pain?
• Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs
• Acetaminophen
• Acetaminophen Combinations
• Narcotics
• Abuse, Addiction, and Withdrawal
• Pain Medications to Avoid
• For More Information
• Web Links
• Synonyms and Keywords
• References
• Authors and Editors

What Is Pain?

Pain is an unpleasant sensation. Pain can be sharp or dull, burning or numbing, minor or major, acute or chronic. It can be a minor inconvenience or completely disabling.

Both the area of the injury and how the brain deals with signals from the area of pain affect the sensation. Generally, medications try either to stop the transmission of pain from the site of injury or to affect the brain directly.

The effects of pain medication are different for different people. Also, the tolerance of pain varies greatly from one person to another.

For this reason, one medication will not be right for everyone with the same injury. For example, some people are quite happy with an over-the-counter medication for an ankle sprain, while others will need a more powerful prescription pain reliever. The right pain medication depends on the person experiencing the pain, not on the condition that is causing the pain.