Menu Close

Articles on Painkillers

Displaying 1 - 20 of 40 articles

A variety of pain-relieving drugs are available both over the counter and by prescription. SelectStock/Vetta via Getty Images

How do painkillers actually kill pain? From ibuprofen to fentanyl, it’s about meeting the pain where it’s at

Different painkillers provide relief in different ways. The most effective medication is the one that best targets the type of pain you’re experiencing with minimal side effects.
When a pain signal gets to the brain, it lets your brain know there’s a big problem so we can respond. AAP Image/DAN PELED

Curious Kids: How does pain medicine work in the body?

In short, pain medicine is able to block the processes that cause the feeling of pain. To understand why, you need to know a bit about how pain works.
At present, surgeons vary widely in their approach to opioid prescription and some patients use opioids for prolonged periods post-surgery. (Shutterstock)

Surgeons and the opioid crisis: We need prescription guidelines

Surgeons are big prescribers of opioids. But while guidelines are in place for dentists and for doctors who prescribe opioid-based painkillers for long-term pain, there are none for surgeons.
There is growing evidence for the use of cannabis in treating opioid addiction. (Shutterstock)

Legal weed: An accidental solution to the opioid crisis?

As Canada moves towards legalization of cannabis in 2018, there is growing evidence of the drug’s potential to treat opioid addiction itself, as well as the chronic pain that often drives it.
Drug related deaths are on the rise, but federal funds to programs that mitigate drug abuse are being cut in 2018. Me/flickr

The opioid epidemic in 6 essential reads

Drug deaths are rising faster than ever. How did we get here and what to do about it?

Top contributors

More