Pain

Pain is necessary as a warning that damage may occur if we continue with our current activity. By producing pain the body tries to stop the activity and allow time for the repair mechanism to do its work. If the activity persists the pain gets worse as the damage increases. By taking painkillers a patient can block out the warning signals and may continue with the activity. It is not surprising, therefore, that once the painkillers have worn off the pain can be worse than before. No one would tread on a drawing pin and take painkillers to kill the pain, instead of removing the drawing pin. However if the pain is very severe, taking painkillers, resting and avoiding the activities that provoke pain, may be beneficial as long as the reason for the pain is also addressed.