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If you have a headache, back pain or some other type of pain, browsing the pain-relieving medicines at your local pharmacy can prove to be overwhelming. Advil, Aleve and Tylenol are all popular pain medications and have important similarities and differences, but which one should you choose?

Here's what you should know about these popular over-the-counter pain medications and which one is best for headaches, fever, back pain and other aches and pains.

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Advil (ibuprofen) and Aleve (naproxen) are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. They work by inhibiting an enzyme in the body called cyclooxygenase, or COX for short. COX is involved in the process of making prostaglandins, which are hormone-like substances that can contribute to pain. While both are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), Aleve may be longer-lasting than Advil.

Unlike Advil and Aleve, Tylenol (acetaminophen) is not an NSAID. Instead, Tylenol inhibits the production of prostaglandins.

Whether you should take Tylenol, Advil or Aleve depends on the type of pain you're experiencing.

“In general, any of these medications can potentially be helpful for aches and pains,” says Dr. Harrison A. Linder, a board-certified pain management specialist with The Center for Interventional Pain Medicine at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore.

If inflammation is involved, Advil or Aleve may work better.

“By inhibiting the production of prostaglandins, which contribute to inflammation, these medications help reduce pain and........

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