subject: How Pain Relievers Work [print this page] Without pain, you'd continue to cut through your hand until you soon realize that you're missing a finger. Fortunately, the nervous system can recognize pain and send a message to the brain, which in turn will send your hand a simple message: STOP CUTTING!
The medical community has developed pain relievers to help reduce and sometimes eliminate aches and pains. Most people know what a pain reliever is and what it does. However, few know how they actually work? Some most common types of pain relievers are ibuprofen (Advil), acetaminophen (Tylenol), aspirin (Bayer), and naproxen (Aleve).
Returning to the bagel incident mentioned earlier, the nerve endings in your finger will leave you with a throbbing pain in your hand. Once the bleeding recedes, the victim can pop a few pain relievers. But what happens next inside the body?
Cells release a chemical called prostaglandin when they feel pain. When the nervous system senses the release of prostaglandin, it will transmit a message to the brain.
Pain relievers will prevent cells from releasing prostaglandin. With that, the aforementioned chain reaction doesn't kick into play. The nervous system won't know if a body part is experiencing pain, and thus will not send any messages to the brain.
Other stronger pain killers, like Vicodin and Percocet, work by moving between nerve cell and disallowing the transmission of the pain message to the brain.
Whether you get stinging headaches or are looking for arthritis pain relief, be sure to consult a doctor before deciding on a specific pain medication. Even though most pain relievers are available over the counter, they are still a drug that should be taken with caution.
