Tapentadol is a prescription medication used to manage moderate to severe pain. It is an opioid analgesic with a dual mechanism of action: it not only binds to opioid receptors in the brain and spinal cord, reducing the perception of pain, but it also inhibits the reuptake of norepinephrine, which contributes to its pain-relieving effects. Tapentadol is used for short-term management of pain, such as post-surgical or injury-related pain. Tapentadol works by binding to opioid receptors in the brain and spinal cord, similar to other opioids.