The choice of pain relief medication can depend on many things, such as the type, severity and cause of your pain, other medications you may already be taking, any allergies you may have and other conditions you may have.
Treatments for common pain such as headaches, sinus pain or muscle injuries usually only need to be given for a short time while the injury is healing.
Paracetamol and NSAIDs (anti-inflammatories such as Nurofen) are the most commonly used pain relievers and they can be purchased from pharmacies without a prescription.
For more advice on pain relief go to our health advice articles.
