There are different ways of treating pain. There are medications and then there are treatments you can get to ease pain without taking any medication. Let’s start with over the counter medications; these are pain relievers that do not require a doctor’s prescription. These types of pain relievers are Acetaminophen such as Tylenol and Aspirin Free Excedrin. There is a pain reliever called Nonsteroidal anti inflammation drugs such as aspirin, Motrin, Aleve and Orudis KT. These are pain relievers that do not contain any steroids at all. Then you have the topical corticosteroids such as creams like Cortaid and Cortisone.

The purpose of the acetaminophen and the non steroidal anti inflammation drugs are used as fever reducers, muscle pains and stiffness and the non steroidal drugs release pain by releasing a hormone into the blood stream, They work to reduce any inflammations in the body. The topical pain relievers are for burns and scrapes as well as for arthritis and joint pain.

Then you have the prescription drugs that you can only get with a doctors approval. These painkillers are for more severe pain other than the occasional headache or toothache. These pain reducers are Anti depressants, Anti convulsants (anti seizure medicine), Opioids and Corticosteriods.

Corticosteriods are for pain relief for inflamed areas by taking away the swelling and itching and the relief of an allergic reaction. These are used to treat allergies, asthma and arthritis. They can be given by pills or by injection under the drug names Deltasone, Hydeltrasol and Solu-Medrol. These steroidal medicines have some side effects, they can cause weight gain, upset stomach, headache and a weakened immune system.

Opioids are like a narcotic pain medication that has natural or semi synthetic opiates. These are used on acute pains or short-term pain. Some examples are Morphine, Codeine, Oxycodone and Fentanyl. They have side effects as well; they are nausea, itching, addiction, constipation and some breathing problems. These are only given for strict and severe pain.

Anti depressants are given to people who have a chronic pain condition such as headaches or migraines and menstrual cramps. Some of these are Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft, Tofranil and Cymbalta. These are medications that can become habit forming and they have terrible side effects. Talk to your doctor if you are interested in taking these medications.

The other way to get through the pain is with physical therapy. If you have had an injury in the past but after it is healed, you still feel some pain then maybe physical therapy or an exercise regiment may help. 

For additional information and resources on Chronic Pain, visit PainsWeb.com. The author Sam Carson is a chronic pain patient and publisher of PainsWeb.com. His website specializes in conveying targeted information about all types of Chronic Pain and helps you find associated information, patient resources and forums etc to manage your pain. Authors can submit quality original articles to PainsWeb.com and get a back link to their site.