What Aspirin Helps Alleviate' Aspirin is a common over-the-counter medication used to treat pain, fever, and inflammation. It is also known as acetylsalicylic acid and is commonly used to treat headaches, muscle aches, and other minor pains. The term 'What Aspirin Helps Alleviate' can be summarized as ACHE, which is an acronym for the four letters in the word. ACHE stands for Acute, Chronic, Headache, and Exertional pain, all of which can be treated with aspirin.