Pain management clinics may provide patients with either narcotic or non-narcotic medications. Both types of drugs are called analgesics, painkillers that provide sufferers with varying degrees of pain reduction or pain relief.
Narcotic analgesics are prescription drugs that act directly on the central nervous system and affect patient consciousness. Opiates and opioids are the most common types. Examples include morphine, codeine, and pathedine.
Non-narcotic analgesics are less powerful drugs, typically sold over-the-counter (OTC) that act only peripherally on the sufferer’s nervous system. Pain management clinics use them for mild to moderate pain. Examples include ibuprofen and motrin.
