Pain is a sensation perceived by pain receptors located at various points throughout the body. When these receptors are stimulated they send signals through nerves and into the brain where the signals are interpreted triggering the proper response.
There are several classes of analgesics or "pain killers." These include relatively mild drugs like aspirin and powerful substances such as morphine. Pain medications within these classes function differently. Some are more useful than others, depending on the person and the type of pain. Additionally, many pain-killing medications have side effects ranging from relatively mild stomach irritation to severe
addiction.
View sub-topics at right to learn more about some specific drugs used to treat pain and some of the drugs' more serious adverse side effects.
See Also
- Cafergot / Ergotamine Tartrate and Caffeine: Overview
- Children's Motrin
- Children's Motrin Grape Chewable Ibuprofen
- Dixon's Acetaminophen Tablets
- Prescription & Over-the-Counter Drugs: Overview
- Duract
- Duragesic Patch
- Imitrex / Sumatriptan Succinate
- Lioresal Intrathecal (Baclofen Injection): Overview
- OxyContin / Oxycodone Hydrochloride
- Palladone / Hydromorphone Hydrochloride
- Parafon Forte / Chlorzoxazone
- Pregabalin
- Roxanol / Morphine Sulfate
- Stadol / Butorphanol Tartrate
- Tylenol: Overview
- Ultram / Tramadol
- Vicodin / Acetaminophen & Hydrocodone Bitartrate