Treatment and Procedures FAQs

Once your doctor has assessed your pain, they will be able to treat you and advise you on how to control it. This section aims to answer some general questions you may have about the different treatments. For more specific questions, please see your own doctor. Remember that different people, and different types of pain, will be treated differently.

1. What are OTC analgesics?
2. Will I have any problems if I take OTC analgesics regularly?
3. Which should I use, aspirin, paracetamol or ibuprofen?
4. What are NSAIDS?
5. OTC analgesics for children
6. I have heard of something called a COX-2 inhibitor. What is this?
7. If NSAIDS are non-steroidal anti-inflammatories does that mean that there are steroidal anti-inflammatories that can control pain?
8. What happens if OTC analgesics are not enough?
9. I have chronic pain. Why shouldn’t I just take painkillers when the pain comes back or gets really bad?
10. Mostly my pain is under control, but why am I still getting surges of pain?
11. Why are antidepressants and drugs for epilepsy used to treat pain?
12. How do opioids help relieve pain?
13. How are opioids taken for pain relief?
14. Is it safe to use opioids for pain relief?
15. Can I get addicted to opioids?
16. My doctor has prescribed morphine. Does that mean I am dying?
17. Can I use more than one method to manage my pain?
18. What is a nerve block?
19. How to take your analgesics – routes into your body
20. How does transdermal drug delivery work?
21. Topical relief
22. What is capsaicin?
23. I have heard that dietary supplements may help me
24. Can surgery help me?
25. Why is radiotherapy sometimes used for pain relief?