How Do Pain Relievers Work?
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Some people take aspirin or ibuprofen to treat everyday aches and pains, but how exactly do the different classes of pain relievers work? Learn about the basic physiology of how humans experience pain, and the mechanics of the medicines we've invented to block or circumvent that discomfort.
Lesson by George Zaidan, animated by Augenblick Studios.
Lesson by George Zaidan, animated by Augenblick Studios.
Jun 27, 2012 7:55 PM
Re: How Do Pain Relievers Work?
Prolly 90 percent placebo effect and 10 percent of the pill actually doing anything.
By: KeyserSosay
Re: How Do Pain Relievers Work?
Are you like Bruce Willis from Unbreakable? I didn't know there were others!
By: deiviant
Re: How Do Pain Relievers Work?
A few weeks ago I took a longer-than-expected hike with a couple of guys who were each carrying half the weight I had. That meant they wanted to move at a faster speed than I should. The path we took was a broken trail, down a steep hillside on broken railroad tie stairs and rappelling for several feet at a conveniently placed rope at one point. It was not a walk in the park.
On the way back up, I was happy to grumble and mumble, while letting them know I was both fine and enjoying myself. I was vocalizing because it helped me get back up the hill - rubber legs and all. The next day I was just a bit sore in my thighs and had great sense of accomplishment.
This past week I had the flu. (I'm now sick with a secondary bacterial infection.) Random swelling and body aches actually forced me to take Aleve twice a day for a couple days running. I couldn't avoid or grunt through the pain (I was so swollen at one point it looked like I'd been punched in the jaw!) Tonight I'm missing a friend's band play their first show because I don't want to get anyone sick. I'm trying to feel good about the world, but it's difficult.
Our attitudes toward pain and exhaustion really do affect the way our bodies respond to them. Unfortunately, we can't always easily control our attitudes. Even though I'm a generally positive person, I don't respond well to being woken in massive pain from three hours hours of sleep (as happened one day, to a jaw with TMJ tightened from swelling). I need a hot pack, a hot shower and drugs.
On the way back up, I was happy to grumble and mumble, while letting them know I was both fine and enjoying myself. I was vocalizing because it helped me get back up the hill - rubber legs and all. The next day I was just a bit sore in my thighs and had great sense of accomplishment.
This past week I had the flu. (I'm now sick with a secondary bacterial infection.) Random swelling and body aches actually forced me to take Aleve twice a day for a couple days running. I couldn't avoid or grunt through the pain (I was so swollen at one point it looked like I'd been punched in the jaw!) Tonight I'm missing a friend's band play their first show because I don't want to get anyone sick. I'm trying to feel good about the world, but it's difficult.
Our attitudes toward pain and exhaustion really do affect the way our bodies respond to them. Unfortunately, we can't always easily control our attitudes. Even though I'm a generally positive person, I don't respond well to being woken in massive pain from three hours hours of sleep (as happened one day, to a jaw with TMJ tightened from swelling). I need a hot pack, a hot shower and drugs.
By: catgrin
