When I had a serious back injury, I tried not to take painkillers until the physical therapist pointed out that they have a positive role in healing so trying to 'tough it out' as I was doing was counter-productive. Her point was that the body can become so pain-sensituzed that it begins to expect pain at the first sign of little twinge and tends to 'freeze up' in anticipation of pain. That, in turn, can create more stress and muscle tension. So becoming less aware of pain can be a good thing.

I took some painkillers for a short while and it really did help break the cycle until I started using a TENS unit which was my security blanket and best buddy for the year while my back was healing.