Medicines for pain/analgesics | Physiotherapy for knee TEP

Medicines for pain/analgesics

Analgesics are of central importance in the treatment of pain. They are substances that are capable of reducing or even completely eliminating the sensation of pain without shutting down other important functions of the central nervous system. In total, there are two major groups of investment substances.

The topic of pain/symptoms in a knee TEP might also be of interest to you.

• One is opioids, which are highly effective substances used for moderate to severe pain. Examples of opioid analgesics are morphine, oxycodone, methadone or fentanyl.
• The other group of investment products are the so-called non-opioid analgesics.

  This group can also be divided into various subgroups, of which NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) are probably the most well-known. The substances of the non-opioid analgesics are used for mild pain and in combination with opioids for severe pain. The main difference between the substances is their mechanism of action, which also results in a large number of side effects. Examples of non-opioid analgesics are paracetamol, ASS, ibuprofen or novamine sulfone.

Drugs against inflammation/NSAR

NSAR, which stands for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and describes a special group of drugs that have analgesic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory (antiphlogistic) effects. The mechanism of action is based on the inhibition of a certain specific enzyme, cyclooxygenase, which is responsible for the development of pain by synthesizing pain mediators (substances that trigger the pain and the inflammatory reaction) such as prostaglandins. The inhibition of cyclooxygenase by the NSAIDs interrupts this cycle. A distinction is made between the non-selective COX inhibitors (such as ibuprofen or diclofenac) and the selective COX-2 inhibitors, which, as the name suggests, only inhibit cyclooxigenase 2 (Coxibe belongs to this group). In general, the selective COX-2 inhibitors are better tolerated, since the non-selective COX inhibitors also lose other functions, such as the protection of the gastric mucosa.