If you live with persistent pain, you're likely to be using medication to manage it. Below is a collection of super simplified, bite-sized videos that explain how various pain relief treatments work. I start with over-the-counter remedies backed by science and progress to more powerful options like opioids.
I include placebo analgesia because if you think something will help - it probably will. This is because pain is created in the brain. If you swear by homeopathy or Bach Flower Remedies then keep using them. Your belief triggers a process that creates your own natural analgesia.
I love TENS as a treatment. It is drug free, easy to use and fairly cheap. If you live with persistent pain I recommend that you try it. Give it a week of daily use and if it hasn’t reduced your pain by then, let me know. I’ll help direct you to other professionals that might help.
I use menthol for headaches and sore joints. It is my most commonly used form of pain relief.
Capsaicin burns but it is great for pain distraction and relief.
Lidocaine is found in most oral pain relief treatments - even in teething gel.
Paracetamol works on the central nervous system to reduce pain. There is no conclusive understanding of its mechanism of action. I just explain the main theory.
Ibuprofen works to inhibit the enzymes that create prostaglandins. So does aspirin by the way. Aspirin stays in your system longer than ibuprofen though.
Triptans are used for migraines. They are derived from tryptophan which is an amino acid found in pumpkin seeds. They mimic serotonin’s effects on serotonin receptors in the blood vessels and dura in our skull calming widened blood vessels.
Gabapentinoids are prescribed for nerve pain because they reduce the excitability of nerve cells and might even block new synapse formation.
Antidepressants increase our serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline levels which stop pain messages from travelling up the spinal cord to the brain while also sending inhibitory messages down the spinal cord, calming the central nervous system.
Opioids are brilliant after surgery. They are excellent at reducing extreme acute pain. They are rubbish for persistent pain. This video explains opioid tolerance and withdrawal.
My goal was to create one minute videos to explain how pain relief treatments work. That means that they are super simple. They are supposed to give you the general gist. If you are interested in understanding the mechanism of action of any of your medication I recommend visiting PDR.net a marvellous website that has a giant database of drug information.
Be well
xx
P
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