Foundations
How inflammation and the prostaglandin (COX) pathway work, and how pain is treated in steps.
Inflammation & the Prostaglandin Pathway: The Key to Every Painkiller
Almost every anti-inflammatory painkiller — from ibuprofen to aspirin to steroids — works by acting on one chemical pathway. Learn this single diagram, the arachidonic acid pathway, and you'll understand not just how these drugs relieve pain, but exactly why they damage the stomach and kidneys. One pathway explains both the benefit and the harm.
Treating Pain: The Analgesic Ladder and the Right Drug for the Right Pain
Pain isn't one thing, and there's no single best painkiller — there's a logical way to escalate from mild to severe, and a crucial distinction between ordinary pain and 'nerve pain' that responds to completely different drugs. This simple framework, the analgesic ladder, organises pain relief for the whole of medicine.
