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But the good news is that there are several treatment
options available for those suffering the rigors of back pain, including
physical therapy, exercise, and of course, back pain medication.
Many
back pain medications can be bought over the counter without need of
prescription. These drugs are helpful in relieving pain and addressing
several of the symptoms related to an episode of back pain. In addition
to nonprescription drugs, back pain medications may also be procured
through a doctor’s prescription.
Acetaminophen
One of the two types of over the counter back pain
medication, acetaminophen is a pain reliever drug that acts by switching
off the brain’s pain perception. In this regard, it is unlike any other
back pain medications, which are mostly anti-inflammatory in addition to
being pain killers.
The common dosage of this back pain
medication may be up to 1000 mg taken every four hours, provided that no
more than 4000 mg is taken within 24 hours. The fast acting pain
relieving effect of this back pain medication makes this drug perhaps
the single most effective drug to treat the condition and associated
pain.
Additionally, this back pain medication is recommended
mainly because:
1) It has few side effects.
2) There is no chance of
addiction.
3) Tolerance level of patients (when the drug loses its pain
relieving effect) is slow to develop, even with extended use.
4) Very
few patients are allergic to it.
NSAIDs (Non Steroidal Anti
Inflammatory Drugs)
Another commonly used back pain medication
that is available over the counter is NSAIDs. Since inflammation is a
contributing factor in many painful episodes that back pain patients
encounter, back pain medication such as NSAIDs with anti inflammatory
effect are especially helpful.
Working like aspirin, NSAIDs
relieve pain by limiting the formation of inflammation. But what makes
this back pain medication better than aspirin is that it has fewer
gastrointestinal side effects.
Ibuprofen, Naproxen, and COX-2
Inhibitors are only among the few NSAID drugs used as back pain
medication.
Narcotic Pain Medications
These types of back
pain medications are for severe back pain, particularly those affecting
the lower back. Narcotics are only available with a doctor’s
prescription, for obvious reasons – they are strong and potentially
addictive forms of medication.
The effect of these back pain
medications is dissociative in nature, which means that they do not
actually deaden the pain, but works to dissociate the patient from the
painful feeling. Back pain medications under this category include
codeine, propoxyphene, hydrocodone, and oxycodone.
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