Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (or
NSAIDs for short) are a class of medicines used to reduce mild to moderate pain, stiffness, fever, and inflammation. They are also used to treat a number of medical conditions that cause pain and inflammation. When it comes to NSAIDs, the list is long, and not all medications in this category are approved for the same uses.
Some specific uses of NSAIDs include:
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Pain relief. NSAIDs can relieve pain resulting from a procedure, as well as pain caused by straining a muscle or inflammation in a tendon (tendonitis) or bursa (bursitis). They can also be used to treat general pain, such as:
These drugs do not cure these types of
arthritis, however, nor do they change the progression of the disease.
- Treatment of painful menstrual periods.
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Relief of moderate to severe pain in the short term. "Short term" is defined as fewer than five days.
Toradol® is an example of an NSAID often used to relieve this type of pain. This medication is most often used to relieve pain following a procedure, but it may also be used to relieve back pain, cancer pain, pain caused by
kidney stones, and other types of short-term pain.
- Temporary relief of fever.