Open AccessControl of pain with topical plant medicines
Author(s) -
James D. Adams,
Xiaogang Wang
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
asian pacific journal of tropical biomedicine/asian pacific journal of tropical biomedicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.507
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 2588-9222
pISSN - 2221-1691
DOI - 10.1016/s2221-1691(15)30342-7
Subject(s) - medicine , nonsteroidal , cyclooxygenase , pain ladder , pain control , anesthesia , pain relief , analgesic , chronic pain , pharmacology , opioid , intensive care medicine , receptor , physical therapy , chemistry , enzyme , biochemistry
Pain is normally treated with oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents and opioids. These drugs are dangerous and are responsible for many hospitalizations and deaths. It is much safer to use topical preparations made from plants to treat pain, even severe pain. Topical preparations must contain compounds that penetrate the skin, inhibit pain receptors such as transient receptor potential cation channels and cyclooxygenase-2, to relieve pain. Inhibition of pain in the skin disrupts the pain cycle and avoids exposure of internal organs to large amounts of toxic compounds. Use of topical pain relievers has the potential to save many lives, decrease medical costs and improve therapy