When is Over-the-counter (OTC) muscle pain medication better than strong medication from the clinic?

Doctor's Answers 1

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.

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