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Author: Admin | 2025-04-28
Prednisone is a corticosteroid medication used to decrease inflammation. Though not a pain medication, it can help to relieve pain. It is commonly prescribed to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA), gout, lupus, chronic lower back pain, and knee osteoarthritis. Side effects of prednisone include mood changes, insomnia, acne, and weight gain. Prednisone should be taken with food to avoid an upset stomach. The medication is commonly prescribed in a higher starting dose that is slowly tapered down. This article discusses prednisone for pain. It explains how prednisone works to relieve different types of pain and inflammation and what you need to know before taking prednisone. Tassii / Getty images How Prednisone Stops Pain Prednisone belongs to a group of drugs called synthetic glucocorticoids, also called corticosteroids. It stops pain by reducing inflammation. Inflammation is the immune system's response to infections and injuries. Sometimes, the immune system misfires and attacks healthy tissue. This causes the pain and inflammation associated with autoimmune diseases like RA and lupus. Prednisone works to address this in a few ways. Stops Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines The first way prednisone works is by preventing the production of certain pro-inflammatory cytokines—proteins that serve as messengers between cells. The overproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines is associated with a number of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Prednisone prevents the production of cytokines by binding to glucocorticoid receptors—types of cell molecules that receive and send signals in the body. This prevents these molecules from sending signals that pro-inflammatory cytokines should be created. Promotes Anti-Inflammatory Cytokines Prednisone activates the production of some anti-inflammatory cytokines and affects the actions of certain lymphocytes (white blood cells) called T-cells, which play a central role in the body’s immune response. Manages Edema Response It also acts to control how easily molecules are allowed to flow in and out of blood vessels. This reduces tissue edema—swelling caused by small blood vessels leaking fluid into tissues. All of this works to quickly relieve the inflammation, pain, redness, and warmth experienced during an exacerbation of your symptoms. When Is Prednisone Prescribed for Pain? Prednisone is used to treat both acute and chronic pain.
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