This article is the second in a two-part series which explores pain and its management from a physiological perspective. Nurses play an important role in assessing and managing pain. Effective pain management by nurses requires them to have an understanding of the biological basis of the pain interventions which may be used to control pain. This article emphasizes the importance of pain assessment as a precursor for effective pain management and explores the biological basis of pain interventions which contribute to pain control. The role of non-pharmacological approaches in alleviating pain and their actions which contribute to pain relief are explored. The three main types of pharmaceutical agents used, non-opioids, opioids and adjuvant drugs, are introduced and their mechanisms of actions discussed.