Analgesics, also known as painkillers, are medications used to block pain. They either stop pain signals from going to the brain or alter the brain’s interpretation of those signals. In both cases, analgesics prevent the brain from processing pain signals, yet do not rely on anesthesia or loss of consciousness to achieve their pain-killing effect.

There are two primary types of analgesics:

• Non-narcotics. These milder painkillers include acetaminophen. Other drugs used as pain relievers include aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
  
  
• Narcotics. Also known as opioids, they are stronger analgesics that are used when pain is too severe to be controlled by non-narcotics. Examples include morphine and hydrocodone.

Analgesics are used to treat pain from a wide variety of ailments and conditions, ranging from migraines to osteoarthritis. In most cases, patients who experience pain can have their discomfort relieved by an analgesic or a combination of analgesics. Patients may need to try different combinations before discovering a therapy that works well for them.