Over-the-counter painkillers such as paracetamol and ibuprofen can help with some types of pain. However, many patients visiting the Pain Clinic find that these medications do not provide sufficient relief or come with unpleasant side effects.

Reviewing previous unsuccessful pain treatments can provide insight into what might be more effective in the future.

Sometimes, medications from different groups than the typical painkillers can be beneficial. Those are known as secondary analgesics or neuromodulatory medications and are commonly used by pain doctors worldwide to manage painful conditions. Secondary analgesics may include medications typically used for epilepsy and depression, but at lower doses, they are beneficial for some chronic pain conditions.