Neuropathic Pain

Abstract: The treatment of neuropathic pain is difficult. Oral pharmaceuticals have significant side effects, and treatment efficacy tends to be modest. The use of topical analgesics reduces the potential for systemic side effects and allows direct application of medications to the area of pain. The natural spicy substance, capsaicin, has historically been known for its …

Capsaicinoids in the Treatment of Neuropathic Pain: A Review Read More »

Abstract: The gate theory of pain, published by Ronald Melzack and Patrick Wall in Science in 1965, was formulated to provide a mechanism for coding the nociceptive component of cutaneous sensory input. The theory dealt explicitly with the apparent conflict in the 1960s between the paucity of sensory neurons that responded selectively to intense stimuli …

Constructing and Deconstructing the Gate Theory of Pain Read More »

Abstract: Neuropathic pain can develop after nerve injury, when deleterious changes occur in injured neurons and along nociceptive and descending modulatory pathways in the central nervous system. The myriad neurotransmitters and other substances involved in the development and maintenance of neuropathic pain also play a part in other neurobiological disorders. This might partly explain the …

Neuropathic Pain: Mechanisms and Their Clinical Implications Read More »

Scientists from the University of Wisconsin, Department of Anesthesiology, conclude that AAV-encoded CBD3 delivered to peripheral sensory neurons through DRG injection may be a valuable approach for exploring the role of presynaptic VGCCs and long-term modulation of neurotransmission, and may also be considered for development as a gene therapy strategy to treat chronic neuropathic pain.  …

Sustained Relief of Neuropathic Pain by AAV-Targeted Expression of CBD3 Peptide in Rat Dorsal Root Ganglion Read More »

Developed by the British Pain Society, this article highlights the creation of the Map of Medicine care pathway for the management of neuropathic pain. Focusing on treatment by non-specialists, this pathway is based on new evidence, consensus, and the interests of the service users.  READ MORE Source: British Journal of Anaesthesia

Most clinically available treatments for neuropathic pain, are borrowed from other therapeutic areas (antidepressants, antiepileptics) or involve older therapy (opiods). Patients often receive only partial pain relief. Dr. Miroslav ‘Misha’ Backonja, Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin, conducted a study to determine if a combination of therapeutic agents is necessary to achieve and maintain satisfactory …

Neuropathic Pain Therapy: From Bench to Bedside Read More »

In this review, we bring together three perspectives of placebo research including psychological mechanisms, neurobiological pathways and molecular substrates of placebo analgesia and their contribution to active pain medications. The emphasis is particularly on recent studies illuminating mechanisms underlying individual differences in placebo responsiveness.  READ MORE Source: NIH/National Institutes of Health