Pain (inflammatory)
- Treat the inflammatory disease when possible
- NSAIDs are primary symptomatic anti-inflammatory analgesics
- Glucocorticoid is short-term rescue for selected diseases
- DMARD/biologic therapy is disease-modifying when indicated
- Acetaminophen may relieve pain but not inflammation
- GI/renal/CV risk guides NSAID choice
Use at a glance
- Treat the inflammatory disease when possible
Practical pearls
- NSAIDs are primary symptomatic anti-inflammatory analgesics
- Acetaminophen may relieve pain but not inflammation
Choosing treatment
- Glucocorticoid is short-term rescue for selected diseases
- DMARD/biologic therapy is disease-modifying when indicated
Treatment selection
- GI/renal/CV risk guides NSAID choice
Self-check
- Does acetaminophen relieve inflammation as well as pain?
It may relieve pain, but not inflammation. - What guides NSAID choice in inflammatory pain?
GI, renal and cardiovascular risk.
Drugs used for this (3)
All clinical uses · Open Pain (inflammatory) in the interactive console ↗