Analgesics

Analgesics encompass a special group of medications created to help patients relieve pain without resulting in their loss of consciousness.

They are available in different classes, including NSAIDs, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. This group of analgesics includes such medications as naproxen, Cox-2 inhibitors and ibuprofen taken to relieve inflammation and pain. These drugs are often prescribed as a part of a treatment plan for many forms of back pain.

Narcotics are also analgesics, and they include morphine and such man-made drugs as methadone.

They can be taken to relieve pain, but only after being prescribed by doctors. They work by dissociating patients from pain, because its sensation is changed by their use.

The main risk is that all narcotics are associated with addiction or dependency, so it’s not advisable to take them for a long time. Otherwise, patients may end up with unwanted withdrawal symptoms, such as anxiety and sweating.

Finally, analgesics include Tylenol, which is a non-narcotic and centrally-acting pain reliever, but it doesn’t produce any anti-inflammatory effect, so it can be taken together with NSAIDs to offer the most effective treatment.