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Flavonoids in the Treatment of Neuropathic Pain

Current Pain and Headache Reports volume 25, Article number: 43 (2021) Cite this article

Abstract

Purpose of Review

Chronic pain continues to present a large burden to the US healthcare system. Neuropathic pain, a common class of chronic pain, remains particularly difficult to treat despite extensive research efforts. Current pharmacologic regimens exert limited efficacy and wide, potentially dangerous side effect profiles. This review provides a comprehensive, preclinical evaluation of the literature regarding the role of flavonoids in the treatment of neuropathic pain.

Recent Findings

Flavonoids are naturally occurring compounds, found in plants and various dietary sources, which may have potential benefit in neuropathic pain. Numerous animal-model studies have demonstrated this benefit, including reversal of hyperalgesia and allodynia. Flavonoids have also exhibited an anti-inflammatory effect relevant to neuropathic pain, as evidenced by the reduction in multiple pro-inflammatory mediators, such as TNF-α, NF-κB, IL-1β, and IL-6.

Summary

Flavonoids represent a potentially new treatment modality for neuropathic pain in preclinical models, though human clinical evidence is yet to be explored at this time.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesiology, New York-Presbyterian, Weill Cornell Medical College, 525 East 68th Street, Box 124, New York, NY, 10065, USA

    Prashant N. Rao, Ojas Mainkar, Nitin Bansal, Neal Rakesh, Paul Haffey & Mark Jones

  2. Southcoast Health, Southcoast Health Physicians Group, New Bedford, MA, USA

    Ivan Urits

  3. Department of Anesthesiology, Louisiana State University Health Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, USA

    Ivan Urits & Alan D. Kaye

  4. Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Vwaire Orhurhu

  5. Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Richard D. Urman

  6. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA

    Amitabh Gulati

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  1. Prashant N. Rao
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Correspondence to Mark Jones.

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Conflict of Interest

Richard D. Urman reports funding or fees from Medtronic, Merck, Acacia, Takeda, Pfizer, and AcelRx. Amitabh Gulati is a consultant for Medtronic, Flowonix, SPR Therapeutics, Nalu Medical, Bausch Health, and advisor for AIS. The other authors declare that no competing interests exist.

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Rao, P.N., Mainkar, O., Bansal, N. et al. Flavonoids in the Treatment of Neuropathic Pain. Curr Pain Headache Rep 25, 43 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-021-00959-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-021-00959-y

Keywords

  • Neuropathic pain
  • Flavonoids
  • Neuroinflammation
  • Chronic pain
  • Treatment