Medication is often the first treatment you and your doctor will turn to in treating pain.
When pain becomes chronic and long-term, medication can still be effective but should become part of an overall management strategy that includes a combination of treatments.
Not all pain responds to medication alone and some medications can have side-effects and cause dependencies over time. Extended use of any medication requires careful monitoring and an holistic approach to consider what else you could be doing to minimise your pain.
This trusted medication is a go-to for many people with pain. It is important to note, however, that paracetamol can be dangerous if not taken as prescribed.
Useful in treating acute pain over short periods of time, commonly used examples include ibuprofen, diclofenac and meloxicam. Prolonged usage can cause serious side-effects that potentially affect the stomach and gastrointestinal tract or kidneys, and aggravate asthma or cause blood clotting.
Highly effective short-term pain relief as opioids reduce pain signals travelling to the brain. This method of pain relief has the highest incidence of potentially damaging side-effects and addiction, and continuous use often results in loss of effect. Opioid usage requires careful monitoring by your doctor and should not be taken long-term. Examples include – codeine, morphine, tramadol, oxycodone (Endone, Oxycontin, Targin), fentanyl (Durogesic), buprenorphine (Temgesic, Norspan), and tapentadol (Palexia).
In some cases, medications used to treat other conditions, such as epilepsy and depression, can be effective – especially where nerve damage/pain is involved. For example:
As a first step, most of us seek out medication to treat pain symptoms, however ongoing usage may be harmful, cause uncomfortable side effects, create dependencies or become ineffective.
To find out more about our treatment options that can help reduce or eliminate your pain, contact us or make an appointment today.
