text: pain relief? how do pain relievers like tylenol & advil know where to locate the pain you are feeling?    for example: i have a small sinus infection which is causing some nose pain, but also a back ache.  i took some tylenol.    which one will it try to fix? pain is actualy felt in the brain. but it allows you to feel it wherer there is a injury so that you know to fix it or move it. meds tagret the pain receptors in the brain, thus dulling or removing the aches or hurts in question.