Pain relievers do not "know" where to go. Once ingested and metabolized the medication circulates throughout the whole body. Obviously, if you are taking a pain reliever or anti-inflammatory, you will not feel the effects in areas that are not painful or inflamed because they are normal. You feel relief only in areas where the meds will have a palliative effect and reduce or eliminate the cause of the pain.
Pain medications work by slowing the activity of nociceptors (pain receptors) and neurotransmitters in your body's nerve cells. By slowing the rate at which the nerve transmitter is communicating the pain signal to the neuron and eventually the central nervous system, your perception of pain is minimized or eliminated.
Most headaches are caused by vaso restriction, or the blood vessels becoming constricted, which triggers a headache. Pain relievers like aspirin, dilate or open up, these blood vessels and increase circulation, thus eliminating the source of the headache.
Inflammation irritates nerve receptors within tissues like muscles. Anti inflammatories reduce the inflammation, allows the sensory receptors to fire less often and diminishes the pain.
2006-09-20 04:35:11
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answer #1
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answered by not_gullible 3
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Different pain killers work different ways. Some just go to the pain centers in your brain and reduce the sensation of pain by "central" action. They inhibit pain perception by jamming up the pathways that pain messages get to your brain. Others are peripheral, meaning they go to the rest of your body. They don't "know" where to go, but by circulating everywhere, they sort of catch the painful area by accident. Some pain meds (most OTC meds, for instance) and anti-imflammatory drugs. They work by reducing inflammation. If there is no inflammation in your toe, for instance, they don't have any effect there.
2006-09-19 19:04:50
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answer #2
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answered by Picture Taker 7
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I assume you are talking about things like aspirin and Tylenol. They go everywhere. They are called systemic because they will be distributed throughout the body but they only effect the area that has the pain. There are some side effects from them too. for instance, aspirin thins the blood too.
2006-09-19 17:36:15
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answer #3
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answered by Anonymous
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Hope this link will be helpful
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Painkiller
2006-09-19 17:41:01
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answer #4
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answered by pravin K 2
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i think it messes with your brain so you dont feel the pain
2006-09-19 17:51:10
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answer #5
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answered by Anonymous
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Ive always wanted to ask somebody this question, but i felt embarrassed. Thanks for asking it, can't wait to see people answers.
2006-09-19 17:33:19
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answer #6
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answered by cassie05 3
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that's a good question I think it just kills any pain that you have anywhere.
2006-09-19 18:28:48
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answer #7
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answered by brigette b 3
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