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Pain is the most common reason people seek healthcare, and pain is a sequela of many common health problems. Additionally, an estimated one in five individuals worldwide experiences chronic pain, and many are unable to receive a diagnosis or be otherwise treated outside of analgesics. Although opioids have been effective at relieving pain for many individuals, the high costs – financial, medical, and personal – of opioid use disorder and opioid addiction indicate the need for better pain therapeutics. Non-pharmacological interventions for pain can also be useful in reducing long-term pain medication use, preventing the development of chronic pain, and providing relief to patients for whom pharmacologic therapies are contraindicated or not desired. These avenues need further exploration.
In recognition of this need, this Collection welcomes papers examining novel pain therapeutics and non-pharmacological interventions for pain, including description of novel therapeutics, exploration of non-pharmacologic therapies for pain, and examination of pain receptor-related pathways.