Table of contents:
- What causes bone pain?
- List of medical drugs for bone pain
- Pain relievers
- Corticosteroids
- Antibiotics
- Anticonvulsants
- Antidepressants
- Bisphosphonates
- Anticancer drugs
- Nutritional supplements
- Natural remedies to help with bone pain
Generally, complaints of bone pain are less common than joint pain and muscle pain. However, this condition can irritate the sufferer and must be treated properly. One form of treatment that doctors give to treat bone pain is medication. However, the drug given can be different for each patient, depending on the medical condition that caused it. Then, what are the bone pain relievers that doctors usually give?
What causes bone pain?
Bone pain is a common form of pain in musculoskeletal disorders. This is pain or discomfort in one or more parts of the bone. Usually, bone pain is deep, penetrating, or dull.
Generally, bone pain is caused by an injury that resulted in a fracture (fracture). However, health conditions that affect the bones can also be the cause. Here are some common causes of bone pain:
- Movement or excessive use of one bone.
- Bone cancer (primary bone cancer).
- Cancer that has spread to the bones (secondary bone cancer).
- Lack of blood supply to bones.
- Infection of the bones (osteomyelitis).
- Leukemia.
- Loss of minerals in bones or osteoporosis.
List of medical drugs for bone pain
Medications and medications that doctors give to treat bone pain depend on the condition that caused it. Therefore, it is important that you discuss with your doctor before starting any type of treatment. Some of the common painkillers given by doctors are:
The main medication commonly given by doctors to treat bone pain is pain relievers. As the name implies, pain relievers help to relieve pain that arises due to health problems in your bones.
For mild bone pain, pain relievers that can be purchased over the counter at pharmacies are generally an option. These include acetaminophen (paracetamol), aspirin, or ibuprofen.
Meanwhile, for mild to moderate pain, doctors will generally prescribe a mild opioid pain reliever, such as codeine, dihydrocodeine, tramadol, or dextropropoxyphene. As for severe bone pain, stronger opioid drugs are usually needed, such as morphine, methadone, hydromorphone, oxycodone, or fentanyl.
In addition to a single drug, doctors can also give combined pain relievers in some cases. This depends on the cause of bone pain, the severity, and the level of tolerance of each patient to the particular medication. Therefore, it is important to always consult with your doctor about the symptoms or side effects of any medications you are experiencing.
Corticosteroids are drugs that work by reducing swelling and inflammation in the body. These medicines are usually given if the bone pain you have is related to bone cancer or cancer in another part of the body that has spread to the bone (metastatic cancer).
Not only to relieve pain, corticosteroids can also be used to prevent some complications of cancer. However, the use of corticosteroid drugs needs to be careful. The reason is, these drugs can cause side effects, especially if taken long term. The names of corticosteroid drugs that are often used for bone pain, namely dexamethasone and methylprednisolone.
Antibiotics are often given to treat bone pain or pain caused by an infection, such as osteomyelitis. The goal is to kill germs that cause infection, which cause pain in the bones.
Antibiotic drugs can be given by mouth (oral) or infusion (intravenously). Some common antibiotics for bone pain sufferers are ciprofloxacin, clindamycin, or vancomycin.
But keep in mind, the antibiotic drug given by the doctor needs to be spent during the treatment period. This is to prevent antibiotic resistance, which is when bacteria no longer respond to antibiotic drugs. When this happens, the doctor must prescribe a stronger antibiotic.
If your bone pain is related to nerves (neuropathic pain), you will usually need other medications to help manage your pain. In this condition, anticonvulsant drugs, such as gabapentin and pregabalin, will usually be given by a doctor.
Anticonvulsants are the main drugs for people with seizures. However, people with bone pain associated with cancer also often receive these drugs. The reason is, cancer patients often experience neuropathic pain in the fingers or toes due to the side effects of chemotherapy.
However, there are some side effects that may also arise when taking anticonvulsant drugs. These side effects include nausea, vomiting, headaches, double vision, and liver damage.
Antidepressants are drugs used to treat depression. However, just like anticonvulsants, these drugs are also known to treat pain associated with nerves, such as in bone cancer patients.
Antidepressants work by interfering with the function of serotonin and norepinephrine, which are brain chemicals that regulate pain and mood. Reporting from the Mayo Clinic, one of the most effective antidepressant groups for dealing with pain is the tricyclic group.
Some of the antidepressants that belong to the tricyclic group, namely amitriptyline, imipramine, clomipramine, doxepin, nortriptyline, and desipramine. The side effects of this group of drugs include dry mouth, drowsiness, constipation, nausea, dizziness, to heart rhythm problems or arrhythmias.
Bisphosphonates are drugs that can inhibit bone resorption and increase bone mineral density. This medicine is usually given to people with osteoporosis to reduce the risk of fractures, which can cause pain and disability and increase the risk of death.
Not only osteoporosis, bisphosphonate drugs can also be given to patients with bone pain associated with metastatic cancer and spinal fractures. In patients with metastatic bone cancer, bisphosphonate drugs can also help prevent bone damage and treat increased levels of calcium in the blood (hypercalcemia) which can cause various other dangerous health problems.
Some bisphosphonate drugs that are commonly given to people with bone pain, including alendronate, ibandronate, risedronate, and zoledronic acid. While the possible side effects, namely abdominal pain, can increase the risk of osteonecrosis.
Anticancer drugs and treatment also need to be done if the bone pain you experience occurs due to cancer, be it bone cancer or cancer that has spread to the bones. This type of treatment can kill cancer cells and reduce tumor mass, thereby reducing the intensity of bone pain you experience.
The usual anticancer treatment generally consists of surgical procedures, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, immunotherapy, and so on. However, not all cancer-related bone pain sufferers will receive all of these forms of treatment.
For example, in cancer that has spread to many bones, the doctor may recommend chemotherapy. The reason is, chemotherapy drugs can spread throughout the body to fight cancer cells, so that pain in various areas of the bone can be resolved simultaneously. However, chemotherapy drugs can also cause various side effects, depending on the type of drug used.
Patients with bone pain due to osteoporosis generally lack nutritional calcium and vitamin D. Therefore, calcium and vitamin D supplements are often given by doctors to overcome these nutritional deficiencies.
Nutritional supplements do not directly cure your bone pain. However, giving nutritional supplements can help build bone strength, so that your bones stay healthy and avoid the risk of fractures in the future.
Natural remedies to help with bone pain
Apart from medically, you can also try natural and traditional medicines to help deal with bone pain. However, just like medical drugs, the natural methods that can be used can differ from person to person, depending on the cause of the pain that is occurring.
Therefore, you should first consult with your doctor to find out whether this natural method is safe for you. In general, here are some natural remedies that you can try to treat bone pain:
- Account punktur
- Reflectology
- Aroma therapy
- Yoga
- Music therapy
- Chiropractic therapy
- Hypnosis
- Herbal medicine
In addition to these traditional medicines, you can also apply warm or cold compresses to the affected area of the body to help relieve bone pain.
Don't forget to also adopt a healthy lifestyle to help deal with pain and build strength in your bones. This healthy lifestyle, including regular exercise and eating foods for bone health, such as those containing vitamin D and calcium.
In essence, whatever methods and drugs you use to treat bone pain, you should always consult with your doctor first. Never stop, reduce or increase the dose, and change the drug without the doctor's permission, to prevent unwanted side effects. Also talk to your doctor about the side effects of drugs that can arise and how to deal with them.
