Medications
There are many medications, both over-the-counter and prescription, that can help to reduce pain. Some of these medications work best with acute pain, while others can help with chronic pain. Each medication has a slightly different mechanism of action in how it reduces pain. For example, some medications act to suppress nociceptive signals from reaching the brain, while others alter how the brain processes pain once the nociceptive signals are there. This section reviews some of the more common classes of pain medications.
Therapies
Sometimes it helps to work on pain with another individual who can guide you in the methods of altering how the brain processes pain. These skills can focus on the mind, the physical body, or both. Some of these skills are similar to self-management approaches (see the PainGuide section on Self-Care) but may include approaches that require professional guidance. This section reviews some of the more common professional therapies for pain management.
Devices
There are a number of devices that act to reduce nociceptive input to the brain or that alter how pain is processed and experienced. This section offers descriptions of some of the more commonly used devices for pain management.
Procedures
Sometimes invasive procedures are recommended for pain control. These are highly specialized interventions that can focus both on problems with a specific bodily area and on nociceptive signaling from that area to the brain. This section reviews some of the more commonly used invasive procedures often used in specialized pain clinics.