How strong is the evidence for the efficacies of different drug treatments for neuropathic pain?
Eija Kalso
Correspondence Pain Clinic Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Helsinki University Central Hospital, PO Box 140, 00029 HUS, Finland
Email eija.kalso@helsinki.fi
This article has no abstract so we have provided the first paragraph of the full text.
Antidepressants, antiepileptics and opioids have been shown to be effective in treating neuropathic pain. The mechanisms of action relevant to pain relief include balanced inhibition of both 5-HT and norepinephrine reuptake and blocking of sodium-ion channels. Other mechanisms also contribute, such as inhibition of excitatory neurotransmitter systems (via glutamate receptors and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors) or activation of the inhibitory transmitter systems (via opioids or glycine).
Full text of this article is available with one of the following:
- Personal subscription Purchase your own personal subscription to this journal. Already a subscriber? Please log in for immediate access.
- 7 day single article pass for US$18 In order to purchase this article you must be a registered user. Please register or log in.
- Site licence Learn more about institutional site licences
Current Subscribers
Please log in to access the full text article using the login box at the top of the page.
MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS
These links to content published by NPG are automatically generated.
NEWS AND VIEWS
Feeling pain? Who's your daddy.Nature Medicine News and Views (01 Nov 2006)
Breaking the pain barrierNature Medicine News and Views (01 Nov 2003)