Pain Management
Acute or chronic pain can make life a misery, disrupting sleep and preventing you from being able to fully enjoy activities. Depending on the cause, it can present as dull, throbbing or sharp and be constant or sudden.
Although the sensation is unpleasant, pain performs an importune function within the body and shouldn’t be ignored. It can help to diagnose trauma or disorders and provides doctors with a clue to where the problem might lie.
Some of the most common causes for pain include:
- Back pain
- Muscular pain
- Join pain
- Headaches
- Period pain
- Dental pain
If the pain is sudden, unexpected, severe or worsening, you should seek advice from a medical professional to identify the underlying cause.
Medical professionals are able to prescribe a wide range of different painkillers which can be very strong and effective, such as opioids. These are not available over the counter and are only available on prescription.
However, it is possible to purchase non-opioid painkillers which are very effective for mild to moderate pain.
Capsules and tablets are one of the most common forms of painkillers. Different types of painkillers include:
- Paracetamol
- Ibuprofen
- Aspirin
- Codeine
Some tablets will contain a combination of different ingredients. If your pain is difficult to control, you can combine certain types of painkillers eg/paracetamol and ibuprofen. However, you must never combine the same type of painkillers or you will accidentally overdose. Any overdose should be treated as a medical emergency and medical advice sought immediately.
Not all types of painkillers come in the form of tablets; there are also creams and gels which can be applied topically. These work especially well with musculoskeletal pain, such as arthritis or back pain. You cannot combine topical painkillers with oral painkillers of the same type.
There are also non-chemical ways to relieve pain such as heat rubs and freezing sprays. Our 24 hour pharmacy also has natural treatments such as tiger balm and menthol sticks which many people find very effective. These can be combined with other types of painkillers, where necessary, for powerful relief.