Types of Medication
Pain medicines fall into several broad categories:
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are used to relieve mild to moderate pain and to reduce inflammation. This group of medicines includes ASA (example: Aspirin®) and ibuprofen (example: Advil®), as well as a number of prescription-strength drugs. NSAIDs work by reducing the body’s production of prostaglandins (chemicals that play a role in pain), inflammation, and fever.
- Acetaminophen reduces pain by interfering with the brain’s ability to receive pain messages. Because the body eliminates acetaminophen through the liver, people with liver disease should not take acetaminophen without speaking with a doctor first.
- Muscle relaxants, such as methocarbamol (example: Robaxin®), are helpful in treating pain that is accompanied by muscle spasms. Muscle relaxants reduce spasm and tension in muscles by slowing down signals from the brain which cause muscles to contract. These drugs are very effective when taken in combination with a pain reliever such as ibuprofen (example: Robax Platinum®), acetaminophen (example: Robaxacet®), or ASA (example: Robaxisal®).
- Topical pain relievers include creams, lotions, gels, and sprays that are applied to the skin over the area that hurts. Some work by numbing the area; others change the pain signals in the skin.
- Narcotics are used to treat severe pain and should only be used for short periods of time. They are sometimes combined with other ingredients such as acetaminophen or ASA. Use for prolonged periods can lead to tolerance and physical dependence.
- Antidepressants are sometimes used to treat chronic pain, but not all antidepressants are equally effective pain relievers. The two most common types of antidepressants used to relieve pain are selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and tricyclic antidepressants. These drugs are usually prescribed for a few months, because they require a steady dose of the medication to build up in the body over time before they become effective.
- Cortisone injections may be helpful, depending on the cause of the pain. The doctor injects cortisone, an anti-inflammatory medication, into the space around the spinal cord to decrease inflammation around the nerve roots.
