How Pain Killers work

How pain works

Different Kinds of pain killers

4 stages of pain

Transduction

Transmission

Perception

-Where you become aware of the pain

Modulation

- Where the body interacts with nerves to deal with the pain
-Releases endorphins or serotonin

Nociceptors

-Nociceptors releases a signal in the form of action potienal

Opioids

NSAIDs

Paracetamol

-Work similar to NSAIDs by blocking prostaglandin formation
-Lack of strong anti-inflammatory effect

-2 step process to form prostaglandin
-COX produces prostaglandin G2 from arachidonic acid
-Peroxidase (POX) converts to prostaglandin H2

- Release of prostaglandin

-Signal travels to the cerebral cortex
-Travels via Fiber axons
-2 kinds of axons
-Type A
-Type C

-Work by bonding to the opioid receptors
-Mimic endorphins
-Aid with opening of potassium channels
-Block the opening of calcium channels
-End result is inhibiting the ability to transmit the pain signal

-Slows the prostaglandin formation
-Inhibits cyclooxygenase (COX)
-Blocks nociceptor activation

-Paracetamol acts a reducing co-substrate to POX
-Works well in low arachidonic acid levels to inhibit POX
-In high levels it weakly inhibits POX

-Where the pain signal is created