analgesia

Analgesia is a lessening of pain or the absence of pain.

It’s usually used in the context of medicine as a more technical way of saying pain relief.

The related word analgesic refers to a remedy that reduces or relieves pain. It especially refers to pain relief medicine, such as acetaminophen or NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like ibuprofen. Analgesic can also be used as an adjective describing things that have pain-relieving effects, as in the analgesic properties of certain herbs. 

Example: The study determined that the medication can interfere with analgesia in certain patients.

The first records of analgesia come from around 1700. It comes from the Greek analgēsía, meaning “painless.” The word is a combination of the prefix an-, meaning “without,” and the Greek algein, meaning “to feel pain.” The English word algesia can mean “the capacity to feel pain,” “sensitivity to pain,” or “hypersensitivity to pain.”

Analgesia is a technical medical term, but pain relief is such a common topic that the word has become somewhat commonly recognized by people who are not medical professionals. This is especially due to the widespread use of pain relievers called analgesics. These come in many forms, including gels and injections, but they are most commonly used in pill form. Mild analgesics are sold at the drugstore, while more powerful ones are prescribed or used to treat patients at the hospital. NSAIDs are a specific type of analgesics that treat inflammation.

Analgesia typically involves dulling pain or masking the feeling. This should not be confused with anesthesia, which is intended to remove all sensation from an area and sometimes causes unconsciousness.

What are some other forms related to analgesia?

• analgesic (noun)

What are some synonyms for analgesic?

• analgetic
• painkiller
• pain reliever
• anodyne
• pain-relieving

What are some words that share a root or word element with analgesic? 

• algesia
• anesthetic

What are some words that often get used in discussing analgesic?

• pain
• medicine
• medication
• drug
• remedy
• properties
• topical

Analgesia is typically used as a technical term in the context of medicine. People who are not medical professionals are much more likely to just say pain relief. 

First study is underway to examine whether CBD enhances opioid analgesia. CBD on its own not more analgesic or intoxicating compared to placebo @zivacooper #cpdd20

— Chelsea L. Shover, PhD (@ChelseaLShover) June 23, 2020

Another fantastic clinical day delivering telerehabilitation in @CornwallFT
3 of my patients needed my prescribing skills & it was great to have informed conversations about the benefits & risks of analgesia, anti-spasmodic & wakefulness-promoting medications #PatientCentred pic.twitter.com/TmoEmqrY8C

— Dr Angie Logan (@logan_angie) June 20, 2020

Superior Hypogastric Nerve Block for Pain Control after Uterine Artery Embolization: Effect of Addition of Steroids on Analgesia | https://t.co/k7SlW1269l #irad @JessieStewartMD pic.twitter.com/YYMbYube5T

— JVIR (@JVIRmedia) June 19, 2020

Is analgesia used correctly in the following sentence? 

It’s important to determine the right method of analgesia, since patients react to medications differently.