Medication forms the starting point for any pain treatment regime. Milder forms of pain may be relieved by over-the-counter medications such as acetaminophen or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Both acetaminophen and NSAIDs relieve pain caused by muscle aches and stiffness, and reduce inflammation (swelling and irritation). Topical pain relievers are also available, such as creams, lotions, or sprays that are applied to the skin in order to relieve pain and inflammation from sore muscles and arthritis.
As part of a comprehensive pain management plan, a pain specialist may prescribe one or more types of pain medications.
If over-the-counter drugs do not provide relief, pain specialists may prescribe stronger medications, such as muscle relaxants, anti-anxiety drugs (such as diazepam), antidepressants (like Cymbalta for musculoskeletal pain), prescription NSAIDs such as Celebrex, or a short course of stronger painkillers (such as codeine, Fentanyl, Percocet, or Vicodin).
There are many things you can do to help ease pain. Pain relievers are just one part of a pain treatment plan.
Counseling is able to explore the feelings (whether these are related to pain or not) and helps to figure out new ways of coping or reacting to the pain.
An important component of ensuring sustainable pain treatment is to deal with the psychological, dietary and lifestyle aspects as well. It spans right from exercises, to diet plans, to cope with stress and anger, etc. We provide you advice to ensure that the correct root cause of pain is known and can be treated well.
A person’s emotional wellbeing can impact the experience of pain. Learning effective ways to cope with pain can improve the quality of life. Psychological therapies (such as cognitive behavioural therapy, relaxation techniques and meditation) and counseling helps to cope with the pain.