Flavonoids in the Treatment of Neuropathic Pain

• Published in: Current pain and headache reports Vol. 25; no. 7; p. 43
• Main Authors: Rao, Prashant N., Mainkar, Ojas, Bansal, Nitin, Rakesh, Neal, Haffey, Paul, Urits, Ivan, Orhurhu, Vwaire, Kaye, Alan D., Urman, Richard D., Gulati, Amitabh, Jones, Mark
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.07.2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Alternative Treatments for Pain Medicine (M Jones; Analgesics; Anesthesiology; Diabetes; Diabetic neuropathy; Disease; Drug dosages; Flavonoids; Hyperalgesia; Internal Medicine; Kinases; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Narcotics; Pain; Pain Medicine; Section Editor; Topical Collection on Alternative Treatments for Pain Medicine; Neuroinflammation; Flavonoids; Treatment; Chronic pain; Neuropathic pain
• ISSN: 1531-3433; 1534-3081
• DOI: 10.1007/s11916-021-00959-y

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.