.....Pain is good; perhaps I should elaborate on this statement. In a perfect world, there would be no pain. Unfortunately, this is not a perfect world and everybody hurts at some time. So which pain reliever should you use? There are quite a few choices: ASA, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, topical rubs and liniments. Let’s look at the different options in the pain relief to see which one might be best.
.....Why do we need pain? It may seem obvious to say this, but pain has an underlying reason. It is our body’s way of telling us that something is not right. Until the cause for this sensation is found, it should not be ignored or suppressed. The cause of most aches and pains can be identified. You might have strained your back by lifting a heavy box or you could have stubbed your toe. Pain that comes on suddenly, or has no apparent cause, should be brought to the attention of a health care professional as soon as possible. This is a warning from your body; listen to it.
.....Pain relievers come in two general forms, topical (applied to the skin) or oral (taken by mouth). There are three main types of over the counter oral pain relievers in Canada; ASA, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen. They work very similarly, but they all have their slight differences.
Researchers have found that the |
oral anti-inflammatories (NSAIDS such as ASA and ibuprofen) stop the body from producing hormone-like substances called prostaglandins. Prostglandins are responsible for the symptoms of pain, fever and inflammation caused when people strain
 muscles, get colds or have arthritis. The enzyme in the body that makes prostaglandins (called the COX family of enzymes) is shaped like a hollow tube. Raw materials go in one end and prostaglandins come out the other. The anti-inflammatories enter into the tube and get “stuck” in the middle stopping the production of prostaglandins.
.....It is not clear how acetaminophen (Tylenol) works. It is known that this drug does affect the same COX family of enzymes as the NSAIDs, but it does not reduce inflammation. One theory is that acetaminophen can affect the (sorry big words to follow) endogenous cannabinoid system. These naturally produced cannabinoids play a |
role in your body's perception of pain and acetaminophen helps them work better. These cannabinoids are similar to the euphoric and pain relieving chemicals found in cannabis (Marijuana).
.....In general, there are two types of pain; acute and chronic. Acute pain is the type we are most familiar with. Acute pain is usually short lived and has an easily observed cause. You stubbed your toe or burnt you hand on the stove. The other type of pain is called chronic pain. This type of pain is usually experienced for longer than 3 months.
.....Treatment of chronic pain can be very difficult for Physicians. There are many reasons for this; the first is that it can be hard to find the right dose for the patient. Today, there are many excellent options to help treat pain, but the problem is finding the right balance. Medical science can easily make your pain go away; unfortunately it can also make you very drowsy, constipated and confused. All people are different, so there is a lot of trial and error when trying to find the right pain medication(s).
.....Another reason why both people and Physicians have difficulty with treating chronic pain is the misconceptions about addiction to medications. Whenever you take a medication for a long period of |
