Any pain lasting more than 12 weeks is termed as chronic pain. The main difference between acute pain and chronic pain is that chronic pain persists for a long time, most commonly months whereas, acute pain is a normal sensation that indicates some injury. It is also worth mentioning that chronic pain may arise due to an initial injury that went unnoticed. However, it is also possible that chronic pain may be a result of other health problems.

There are different drugs and medications available to treat chronic pain. These medicines should only be taken after consulting a doctor. The doctor will properly check the patient and determine if it is a chronic or acute pain. When it comes to chronic pain, you should know that it can take time for a medicine to work and relieve pain. Moreover, medicine can work best if it is combined with other therapies including counseling and physical therapy. Here are some common drugs and medicines that can help in relieving pain.

Pain Killers

In the very beginning, the doctor is most likely to prescribe you some painkillers having the least side effects. Over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers are usually prescribed by the doctors. One of the painkillers is acetaminophen. Acetaminophen reduces fever and relieves pain caused by muscle stiffness. Other pain relievers include opioids, antidepressants, anti-seizure medicines, and corticosteroids. This painkiller does not relieve inflammation and irritation. The dose of OTCs depends on the level of pain the patient is having. It is always advisable to act smartly while taking medicines and not to change the dose without consulting a doctor.

Ointments

There are different creams, gels, sprays, and ointments available that can be used to relieve the pain of all types. Two of them are:

  • Topical Analgesics – These are pain relieving ointments that are directly applied to the skin on the part where the patient is having pain. Two of the most popular topical analgesics are EMLA cream and lidocaine patch. You can also get creams or gels from pharmacies that are specially made according to the nature of pain.
  • Cooling Sprays – Cooling sprays are also widely used to relieve pain. These sprays are mostly used in sports where the physiotherapists apply them directly to the skin of the athletes to help them play without feeling any pain.

Injections

Injections are also considered as the option of last resort. These are only used when painkillers and ointments fail to deliver the intended results. The reason is that our body adapts to the medicines and ointments when they are used for a long period of time. Some of the widely used injections are:

  • Joint Block Injections – Corticosteroids are injected into the painful joint for instant results.
  • Nerve Block Injections – Anaesthetics are injected directly to the affected nerves to relieve pain. These injections make the area numb to relieve the pain without blocking the flow of blood. Using these injections, pain can be controlled for several days.

These are some medications to relieve chronic pain. P.s. always make sure, you are taking these medications after consulting a doctor. These are powerful medicines and should only be used after the advice from a doctor.

DISCLAIMER: The medical information on this site is provided as an information resource only, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. This information is not intended to be patient education, does not create any patient-physician relationship, and should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment.