How is pain treated?
Many different treatments can ease pain. Medicines are the most common treatment.
Along with medicines, other things like reducing your stress level or changing how you think can help you feel better.
Talk with your doctor about what treatments might work best for you. If you have pain for a long time, your treatment may change over time.
Medicines to treat pain
Several types of medicines can be used to treat pain. Most of them can treat more than one kind of pain. So you may need to try a couple of medicines to see which works best for you. Your doctor will work with you to find the right types and dosage of medicine. You may take more than one kind of medicine at the same time.
Medicines for different types of pain Medicine | Types of pain |
| Acetaminophen: - Example: Tylenol
- Relieves mild to moderate pain but doesn't reduce inflammation
- Often used for short-term (acute) pain
| - Muscle, joint, and bone pain
- Organ pain
|
| Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): - Examples: aspirin (such as Bayer), ibuprofen (such as Advil), and naproxen (such as Aleve)
- Relieves pain and inflammation
- May be used for short- or long-term (chronic) pain
| - Muscle, joint, and bone pain
- Organ pain
- Can be used for many types of pain
|
| Anticonvulsants: - Examples: carbamazepine (such as Tegretol), gabapentin (such as Neurontin), and topiramate (such as Topamax)
- May be used for long-term pain
| |
| Opioid pain relievers: - Examples: acetaminophen and hydrocodone (such as Norco) and morphine (such as Kadian)
- Used to treat cancer pain
- Used for severe short-term pain (such as from injury or after surgery)
- May be used for long-term pain
| - Can be used for many types of pain
|
| Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) antidepressants: - Examples: duloxetine (Cymbalta) and venlafaxine (such as Effexor)
- Often used to treat nerve pain, such as from fibromyalgia
| - Can be used for many types of pain
|
| Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants: - Examples: citalopram (such as Celexa), fluoxetine (such as Prozac), and sertraline (Zoloft)
- May be used for nerve pain caused by diabetes
| |
| Tricyclic and tetracyclic antidepressants: - Examples: amitriptyline, desipramine (such as Norpramin), and nortriptyline (Pamelor)
- May be used for long-term pain
| - Can be used for many types of pain
|
| NMDA receptor antagonists: - Examples: memantine (Namenda)
- May be used for nerve pain
| |
Reducing stress
Stress can make pain worse. It can tighten your muscles, which can cause headaches and pain in your neck, shoulders, and back. You can talk to your doctor about ways to reduce stress and pain.
Changing how you think
How you think can affect how you feel. You may be able to reduce your pain by stopping negative thoughts. You can change what you say to yourself about your pain. You can talk to your doctor or a counselor about ways stop negative thoughts.
Other treatments
You may want to try other ways to help you relax and ease pain. These may include:
- Acupuncture. Very thin needles are put into the skin at certain places on your body to relieve pain.
- Biofeedback. You may use this to help control muscle tension, heart rate, and other reactions to pain.
- Heat or cold. These can help arthritis. You also can use heat or cold for sore muscles and other aches.
- Hypnosis. This may help you focus your mind on something other than your pain.
- Massage. This can reduce muscle tension.
- Meditation. This may help you focus your mind on something other than your pain. It also can reduce stress.
- Physical therapy. This treatment can improve how you move and your overall fitness.
- Transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS). A mild electrical current is used to relieve pain.
- Yoga. This may increase your strength and how well you move. It also can reduce stress.
