In general, OTC muscle pain medications would include certain classes of painkillers such as:
- Paracetamol/acetaminophen
- Methyl salicylate
It also includes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as:
- Naproxen/synflex/aleve
- Ibuprofen/advil/nurofen/brufen
- Mefenamic acid/ponstan
- Diclofenac/voltaren.
The NSAIDS class of painkillers has a good pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory effect for most muscular pains. However, if the pain does not improve after 2 to 3 days of use, I would suggest seeing your doctor for a proper evaluation of your condition.
It is advisable to visit your doctor early for trauma-related pain as imaging to evaluate the pain might be indicated to rule out conditions such as a fracture.
