The best ways to fight pain

You should also check with your doctor first if you are: asthmatic, on a course of blood thinning drugs (anticoagulants), taking cortisones such as prednisone, six or more months pregnant or breastfeeding. You should also consult you GP if you have ever had a bleeding ulcer.

Ibuprofen also contains aspirin. Although less of a stomach irritant, it’s a weaker anti-inflammatory. Good for period pains and migraine, it is also the key ingredient in many creams and gels used to soothe muscle strains and sprains. Don’t apply it to broken skin.

Creams containing capsaicin, a substance found in chilli peppers, can work well for shingles, osteoarthritis, and complex regional pain syndrome, in which severe pain remains after the injury has healed. Avoid applying just before or after bathing.

Many other types of drug are used to combat pain. Inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, can be treated with corticosteroids injected directly into an inflamed joint, or taken in tablet form.

Codeine is an opioid painkiller, related to morphine. Opioids are prescribed for severe pain, such as terminal cancer, or after major surgery. Side effects include constipation, drowsiness, and nausea.

Antispasmodics, to relax muscle contractions, are used to relieve gut pain in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and diverticulitis. Some sprays and solutions containing anaesthetic are also used to numb skin and throat pain, or injected as nerve blocks in neuropathic pain.