Pain - Which Medication Should You Use For Your Child When It Hurts?

You'd think that after decades of using tylenol, ibuprofen, and codeine, we'd have a grasp on which is best for pain due to musculoskeletal injuries--things like bruises, and even fractures. A new study looks at how well the medications worked for musculoskeletal injuries to the neck, back, arms or legs in kids who came to the emergency room. After years of really no data captured by any professional agency, Pediatrics stepped in to find out which medication was in fact the best one for a kids pain. The research, in the latest issue of Pediatrics, compared acetaminophen, which is what tylenol is, ibuprofen, which is what motrin is, and codeine. The results are somewhat surprising while at the same time already known by mothers with children. The findings clearly show a pain relief advantage to ibuprofen, which acts both centrally in the brain pain centers and at the site of injury. After one hour, more child patients got adequate pain relief than those taking tylenol or codeine. In fact, there's no difference between tylenol and codeine in terms of pain relief. So there you have it. When it comes to children's pain, it looks like a thumbs up for ibuprofen. But take a look at topical non-oral, non-addictive products as pain management solution for your child, particularly if your child must take ibuprofen or any other oral pain reliever over an extended period of time.