The Science of Pain-Killers
A user’s guide to over-the-counter analgesics like acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and more
Paul Ingraham • Jun 30, 2021 • 15m read
Ordinary pain-killers like ibuprofen and acetaminophen are fairly safe and somewhat effective in moderation and work in different ways, so cautious experimentation is justified for many people. They are all roughly equally effective for acute pain,1 but relief is usually minor and varies with people and issues. They all suffer from a ceiling effect: they can only produce so much pain relief, no matter how much you take.2
And for chronic pain, the regular pain-killers are just a crapshoot: for instance, headaches, arthritis, fibromyalgia, neuropathy, and runner’s knee are all extremely different kinds of pain, and many of them can be impervious to any kind of pain medication.