You are sitting and working fine at your desk, and out of the blue, you start feeling an excruciating pain wave through your back. The pain is beyond extreme that it is interrupting your work and your focus. A part of you is asking you to get the first-aid kit and find a pain medication; on the other hand, you are avoiding it because you are already on some drugs. We hear so many views about having or not having painkillers.

Pain medications are essential, but we need to see that to what extent we are using them. Are they getting towards an overdose or forming an addiction. Many people rely majorly on painkillers even when the pain is very minute and bearable. Every human being has a certain pain threshold that enables them to bear the pain without any medicine. Our body has endorphins and other hormones that help in relieving stress, anxiety, and pain.

Many reasons call for pain medication. Been in an accident and got some fractures, then pain medication is necessary as per the prescribed doses. The pain of fractured bones can make you stay awake if you do not take any medications. Moreover, people above the age of 45 to 65 suffer more from weak bones and stomach issues. They often experience pain in their joints such as knees, back, and wrists, but the stomach issues hinder the use of pain medicines. Although we cannot have any medication because our stomach cannot sustain the chemical reactions, we can find an alternative way to relieve pain. You can go to your nearby pharmacy to ask for the best pain relief patch with the same effect as any pain medication. You will simply place it on the painful spot and get rid of the pain within minutes.

If you are refraining from having pain medications besides suffering from sheer pain, then you might be following a myth. Here are a few myths that we often confuse with the fact.

The more, the merrier

We often think that the pain is getting unbearable, and we shall take more than one tablet to snub the pain. The intensity of the pain often indulges us in an extra dose of pain medication. Drugs or medicine have a particular mechanism of action that works around the standard amount of chemicals. In the case of a fractured bone, two tablets of pain can relieve pain faster than one, but it shall not be continued. Once the pain reduces to the bearable limit, the standard dose of medicine will work fine.

 It’s all in your head

When we tell someone that we are experiencing pain, their first answer is,” oh, it’s all in your head, don’t go for medicines unnecessary.” And we tend to believe that pain might not be real. We cannot deny that pain can have a psychological existence, but the pain we feel is very much real. It is not always in our head, and we shall not ignore the pain that can be an indication of some severe medical issue.

 Do not take more if you feel better

One of the most prevalent practices among people is that they stop taking medicines once they feel better. If they do not feel any pain, and there is still one more week on the prescription, they will most likely ditch the meds. To treat an illness, a doctor decides the dosage and time of medicine. If we stop the medication early, it will increase the chances of another pain relapse or the illness itself.

It can fix the pain

We all believe that taking the painkiller will fix the pain. The reality is that it just alleviate the symptoms that we feel, but it does not eliminate the root cause. If you are going through a neuromuscular spasm, you will feel pain and burning sensation. The painkiller will relieve the pain, but it will not treat the cause of neuromuscular contraction. One shall always go for further treatments to identify the root cause to get rid of the problem.

 No long-term consequences

Painkillers have a variety of categories. A person who has undergone surgery gets the prescription of opioids painkiller. Opioid painkillers relieve pain and often induce a feeling of drowsiness or sleep. It is beneficial for the patient who has undergone surgery to sleep off the pain. There is a specific limit to using such painkillers, and they also tend to develop an addiction. If you are out of the hospital and still using such meds, it can affect your body and disturb your hormonal balance. Assuming that taking the med will not have any consequences is wrong. It does affect our body in multiple ways.

Conclusion

Pain is our body response to alert us of the wear and tear that is going on and seek help. Our natural endorphins contribute to relieving the pain, but if the intensity of pain is severe, we will need medications. Every medication has pros and cons. Painkillers are a short term solution for pain relief, but it does not treat the root cause. For instance, if you have damaged your foot’s soft tissue, it will give you sheer outbursts of pain. The only way to subside pain is painkillers, and to heal the tissue damage, you will need a cast. Take medicine when it is necessary, but be watchful that you are not misusing it.