What is Pain and Pain Management? Pain is the feeling of discomfort, which can affect you not only physically but also mentally. It can cause a person to develop mental health conditions like anxiety or depression. The pain is also an indicator of a person’s overall health. People can experience acute pain, which lasts for a short period and can happen suddenly. The symptoms of this pain usually last for only a few weeks. Chronic pain is an ongoing condition. This pain can last for several months. Pain management methods range from over-the-counter (OTC) medications to at-home treatments. Doctors can also prescribe invasive procedures like surgery under extreme circumstances. What are the types of pain? There are three main categories in which one can classify the pain Nociceptive Neuropathic Nociplastic Nociceptive This type of pain occurs because of the stimulation of the sensory nerve fibers that react to stimuli reaching or exceeding the harmful intensity. The most common conditions that you can put under this category are thermal (caused by heat or cold), mechanical (caused by tearing, crushing, or shearing), and chemical (caused when someone comes in contact with dangerous chemicals). This type of pain is helpful for people, as it saves them from getting injured. Neuropathic This kind of pain is a result of a disease or damage to any part of the nervous system that controls bodily feelings. The reason you experience this pain is because of the misread signals between your brain or spinal cord and the nerves. This type of pain does not have any benefit for you. People often describe this pain as tinging, stabbing, burning, electrical, or pins and needles. Nociplastic This type of pain occurs because of the altered nociception. There is no clear evidence of any actual damage to tissues or nerves in the patients who have this pain. Knowing the type of pain can be helpful for the treatment. It is easy to treat the illness it the root cause is known. What are the signs that you need to see a doctor? Not all pains require medical attention. Some last for a few hours and can disappear without requiring any treatment, while other illnesses can last for over six months, and will not go away without proper therapy. You should first understand what type of pain you are having, the intensity of it can be a determining factor in deciding whether you should visit a doctor or let it pass. Some of the conditions in which one should visit a doctor are listed here. When it hasn’t subsided after two to three weeks It prevents you from sleeping or getting a proper rest It did not improve with any of the treatments you have tried If it is causing symptoms of stress, depression, or anxiety The discomfort is preventing you from exercising or doing day to day works Medical treatment of pain What are the different types of pain medications? You can buy all sorts of medications for the treatment of pain. There are plenty of medicines available which you can choose. One can either go with the over-the-counter medications if the severity and duration of the symptoms are low. For long-lasting pain, it is better to consult with a doctor and get prescription medicine. Over the counter medications People can buy these drugs at any local medical store or order them online, as they are available to buy without a prescription from the doctor. This category of drugs includes acetaminophen (Tylenol) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). These OTC medicines are helpful in the treatment of the following conditions Arthritis Sprains and other minor injuries Backache Muscle aches Headache Menstrual pain One should only take the amount of the drug as recommended on the package, as using more than the required amount can result in severe side effects. Prescription medications Though you can buy pain medications without a prescription, the drugs with higher strengths or those that contain controlled substances are not available without proper prescription. The hight potency drugs such as opioids are helpful in the treatment of severe pain, but due to their high strengths, the probability of their illicit use also increases. The following are the type of prescription medicines that are very effective for pain treatment. Corticosteroids Opioids Antidepressants Anticonvulsants While these drugs require a prescription to buy, there are some online pharmacies from where you can buy these medicines without a prescription. Non-medicine treatment of pain Many times as it happens, you can treat the pain by doing simple things such as exercise, treating the affected area with heat or cold, and other home remedies. You don’t need to go to the doctor for every small inconvenience. Cold and heat treatment This type of therapy is useful for the pain caused by an injury. The heat or cold is an easy way to get relief from minor discomfort, and which one you should use depends on what is causing the problem. Applying cold substances like ice to the affected area narrows the blood vessels and reduces the inflammation and swelling. This treatment works best if right after an injury or for treating a painful condition such as gouty arthritis. When you apply heat to the injured area, it works by increasing blood flow, which relaxes the tight muscles. You can use either a dry source like a heating pad or a pack or moist heat from a wet washcloth or bath. One should use heating treatment for the pain that lasts more than a few weeks. Physical therapy Physicians often recommend physical therapy along with the medications. It combines exercise with hands-on manipulation and education. Doctors prefer it because it is useful in minimizing the risk of dependence on the pills and can speed up the recovery process. Physical therapy can help relax tight muscles and increase your pain tolerance. To achieve positive results, a therapist will work with you to improve your flexibility and strength. Some conditions in which physical therapy can help are Nerve pain Arthritis Postsurgical pain Fibromyalgia