Definition: Analgesics are medicine or drugs that reduce, relieve or eliminate pain. Asprin is the most common analgesic. NSAIDS are another common type. Some analgesics reduce pain and inflammation, while others, such as acetaminophen, reduce pain but do not address inflammation.
When an acute injury or incident triggering a chronic pain reaction occurs, there is a series of chemical reactions in the body that cause special nerve cells to transmit a message to the brain that pain should be felt. Once the brain receives this message, it interprets it and the result is a painful sensation. Analgesics do one of two things to interrupt the feeling of pain:
For more information about how the nervous system processes pain see Chronic Pain and Emotional Health.
Bibliography
Joseph F. Smith Medical Library Retrieved from: http://www.chclibrary.org/micromed/00037240.html July 15, 2005
Last Updated: February 1, 2006
When an acute injury or incident triggering a chronic pain reaction occurs, there is a series of chemical reactions in the body that cause special nerve cells to transmit a message to the brain that pain should be felt. Once the brain receives this message, it interprets it and the result is a painful sensation. Analgesics do one of two things to interrupt the feeling of pain:
- Block the pain message as it makes its way up to the brain for interpretation
- Change the resulting interpretation of the message once it has reached the brain.
For more information about how the nervous system processes pain see Chronic Pain and Emotional Health.
Bibliography
Joseph F. Smith Medical Library Retrieved from: http://www.chclibrary.org/micromed/00037240.html July 15, 2005
Last Updated: February 1, 2006
