Body ache may not sound as threatening as cancer or liver disease but its effect has a direct impact on the health and productivity of the person. And when we talk of body ache, it encompasses several kinds of aches such as muscle ache, backache, headache, muscle tensions, stiffness, and tight muscles.

Body ache is also sometimes referred to as body stress and this slight discomforting sensation keeps hampering normal functioning of the body. Nowadays, body ache is one of the most of the common complaints reported by the working population.

People are too busy to emphasize the cause due to their “busy” schedule, and hence, prefer taking a painkiller for instant relief.

Here is a list of medicines recommended for body aches:

Acetaminophen: This is one of the ingredients used in several drugs recommended for pain relief. It affects the part of the brain which is responsible for regulating pain and temperature of the body.

Medicines containing acetaminophen are also found to be effective in the treatment of chills, fever, headaches, sore throats and body aches. Acetaminophen (APAP) is used in combination with other drugs to suppress other conditions as well. This is the main ingredient used in paracetamol.

However, it is advisable to avoid this medicine in case of liver diseases, kidney diseases or if an individual is alcoholic.

Analgesics:  The drug belongs to the group of painkiller which helps in achieving analgesia. It relieves from pain and sometimes completely eliminates the cause of pain. However, it is different from anesthetics which provide temporary relief.

There are different forms of analgesics which act in different ways. For example, Opioids mitigate the pain signals which are sent by the nervous system and alters the reactions of the brain to those signals. At the same time, Tylenol works by altering the way pain is being sensed by the body.

Crocin and Aspirin are some of the analgesics used for pain relief. However, before consuming the medicine interaction, contraindications and side effects should be researched properly.

Children should not be given aspirin as it may result in Reye’s syndrome and consumption of an excessive amount of Tylenol might cause harm to the liver.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS): It is found to be one of the most common medicines prescribed for pain and fever relief in the world. The medicine is effective in soothing arthritis symptoms, toothache, sprains, headaches, and other daily such discomforts.
The use of the drugs is not just limited to pain but also helps in relieving fever, inflammations and swellings.

NSAIDs have a direct effect on a chemical level which is responsible for causing pain. The drug obstructs the effect of special enzymes: Cox-1 and Cox-2 enzymes. These enzymes play a vital role in the synthesis of prostaglandins.

By obstructing the effect of Cox enzymes, NSAIDs inhibits the production of prostaglandins in the body. This implies less pain, inflammations and swellings.

These NSAIDs are present in both prescriptions and OTC form.  It is advisable to use the medicine after consulting a doctor to avoid any kind of interactions or side effects. People with a history or present condition of asthma, liver impairment, kidney diseases, and high blood pressure should avoid the use of the medicine.

Some of the commonly used NSAIDs are mentioned below:

OTC:

• Ibuprofen
• Naproxen
• Ketoprofen

Prescriptions bases:

• Indocin
• Lodine
• Naprosyn
• Voltaren
• Relafen

It is advised not to use two different kinds of pain killer at the same time. As they use a different mechanism to control the pain and interaction may lead to some undesirable effect.

Also, these medicines are used for temporary relief. If the pain persists for a prolonged period then a medical practitioner should be consulted and the underlying cause should be diagnosed.

It should be kept in mind that pain could be a simple body ache due to a change in the weather or symptom of some underlying severe diseases.