What is pain? How do we feel it? Why it feels bad? What does a painkiller do to stop pain?

Answer 1

Hello, I am a pharmacist from Oklahoma.

Pain sensation is the result of electrical stimuli to the brain at special receptors (called nociceptors) located through the periphery of our bodies. Whenever there is cellular damage, our cells release certian types of messengers that interact with these receptors to cause the stimuli. That signal is then relayed to our brains and we sense pain as we know it.

Painkillers work by various means depending on their class.

Anti-inflammatory drugs (advil, aleve) work by reducing the production of the chemical messengers that interact with our pain receptors.

Local Anesthetics (benzocaine, lidocaine, etc...) work by preventing the pain receptors from sending the electrical impulse to our brains.

Opioid narcotics (hydrocodone, morphine, etc..) work by blocking the electrical impulses from being processed by our brains. This is why these drugs are used for pain that tends to come from all over the body.

Answer 2

Pain is subjective and we all feel pain differently which is why its so hard to explain a pain to your doctor.

Pain killers work in different ways. Drugs like paracetamol are analgesics. They work by changing the way your brain perceives the messages.

Voltarol and Ibrufen are NSAIDs (non steroydal anti inflammitories) They work by reducing the inflkammation which is causing the pain, so the pain is literally gone with this group of meds.

Other drugs such as tramadol or oxycodone are opiates (from opium) and block the nerves messages to the brain.

In low doses anti depressants can be used to treat pain in the same way as opiates.

Answer 3

Well, what timptini said will just pull the tooth right out....and I'm not sure if you want that. But just take some pain killers. If that doesn't work in the next few days to a week, go to a dentist and see whats up. It could end up getting an infection.

Answer 4

Painkillers numb the brain- it doesnt actually stop the pain from happening.

Answer 5

Definitions of pain on the Web:

a symptom of some physical hurt or disorder; "the patient developed severe pain and distension"
emotional distress; a fundamental feeling that people try to avoid; "the pain of loneliness"
a somatic sensation of acute discomfort; "as the intensity increased the sensation changed from tickle to pain"
afflict: cause bodily suffering to and make sick or indisposed
a bothersome annoying person; "that kid is a terrible pain"
cause emotional anguish or make miserable; "It pains me to see my children not being taught well in school"
annoyance: something or someone that causes trouble; a source of unhappiness; "washing dishes was a nuisance before we got a dish washer"; "a bit of a bother"; "he's not a friend, he's an infliction"
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

According to the International Society for the Study of Pain, there are two different terms: pain and nociception. Pain is a subjective experience that accompanies nociception, but can also arise without any stimuli. It includes the emotional response. Nociception is a neurophysiologic term and denotes the activity in the nerve pathways. These pathways transmit the unpleasant signals that are not always painful. ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pain

Pain was a ska-punk band based in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pain_(band)

A critical issue in philosophy is the role of pain and pleasure. Two near contemporaries in the 18th and 19th centuries, Jeremy Bentham and the Marquis de Sade had very different views on these matters. Bentham saw pain and pleasure as objective phenomena, and defined utilitarianism on that principle. ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pain_(philosophy)

[French] bread.
www.recipestogo.com/glossary/glossaryP.html

feeling of: s. vedaná.
www.budsas.org/ebud/bud-dict/dic3_p.htm

An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage.
shsskip.swan.ac.uk/Information/Pain%20Terms.htm

pain is the most prominent symptom, occurring for at least three months and taking many different forms. It has been described by patients as aching, burning, throbbing, shooting, tingling, or stabbing. Pain is felt on both sides of the body, both below and above the waistline. It is generally located in the neck, shoulders, back, and hips, although many people experience migratory pain (pain that moves from one part of the body to another).
www.womenandinfants.com/body.cfm

is both a sensory and emotional experience, generally associated with tissue damage, or inflammation. Pain is ultimately a perception, and not an objective bodily state.
encyclopedia.worldvillage.com/s/b/Pain

suffering, as in: He took a nap, and when he awoke the pain of his headache was gone.
www.business-words.com/dictionary/P_1.html

An unfulfilled business need that jeopardizes the success of the organization.
it.csumb.edu/departments/data/glossary.html

Nursing homes record residents as suffering from pain if a resident expresses he or she experienced "very bad" pain at any time, or "moderate" pain every day, in the seven days before the assessment.
www.usatoday.com/news/health/2003-05-19-nursing-home-glossary_x.htm

Sensation of discomfort, distress, or agony, resulting from the stimulation of specialized nerve endings. It serves as a protective mechanism (induces the sufferer to remove or withdraw).
www.doctorsforpain.com/patient/terminology.html

An unpleasant sensation associated with actual or potential tissue damage, and mediated by specific nerve fibers to the brain where its conscious appreciation may be modified by various factors.
www.condell.org/libertyville/neurosurgery/neurology-glossary.php

a sharp stinging localized pain
encarta.msn.com/dictionary_/smart.html

Pain is an emotion experienced in the brain, it is not like touch, taste, sight, smell or hearing. It is categorised into Acute Pain less than twelve weeks duration and Chronic Pain of more than twelve weeks. Pain can be perceived as a warning of potential damage, but can also be present when no actual harm is being done to the body.
www.drback.co.uk/glossary.htm

Answer 6

pain is a subjective phenomena. it cannot be measured. we feel it when the nerve endings of our body are stimulated, prostaglandins are then released which causes the pain sensation. pain varies from person to person. meaning each person has his/her own pain threshold. basically painkillers binds the prostaglandin which are, as i said early on, causes the pain sensation. pain is important for survival because it alerts the body that there is something wrong.

Answer 7

pain is a message from part of the bodie to tell you it is damaged.
pain killer dull the receptors, like loking a door so the message cant get though.

Answer 8

pain is your nerves sending signals to your brain that you interpret as "ouch". Pain killers numb the nerves tha tsend those signals to your brain.

Answer 9

It is electrical pulses,like everything you feel. And actually it is not bad. It is a warning that there's something goes wrong in yr body.