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Technological innovations are driving positives impacts on chronic pain management.
FREMONT, CA: Technological advances, combined with rising support from regulatory agencies, significant drawbacks in traditional treatments such as the opioid crisis and risk of liver damage or heart attack from non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and a surge in the geriatric population, has resulted in the boon of exciting advancements in the field of chronic pain management in the past few years. Here is a list of some of the recently approved technologies for chronic pain management.
Oral Medication
A non-opioid, non-addictive oral drug called Orphengesic Forte by Galt Pharmaceuticals secured FDA approval recently. The tablet, which comprises orphenadrine citrate, aspirin and caffeine, and other non-active ingredients, serves as a safer option for pain management before the opioid prescription.
Intravenous
Meloxicam injection got FDA-approved in February 2020 as a non-opioid solution for moderate to severe pain. It is a COX-2 inhibitor and needs daily dosing. However, it can be given alone or in combination with non-NSAID analgesics.
Subcutaneous
Tanezumab is a monoclonal antibody that selectively binds to and inhibits nerve growth factor (NGF) for chronic pain patients. Its particular mechanism of action is different from that of opioids, analgesics, and NSAIDs. It is expected to be a first-in-class treatment for moderate to severe osteoarthritis.
Implants
Neurostimulation implant ReActiv8 secured FDA approval in 2020 and is expected to be used in patients soon. It aids in the management of lower back pain, especially when patients have failed other methods like physical therapy, injections, and medications but cannot undergo spinal surgery. The implant offers electrical stimulation to the implicated nerves, thus aiding to manage the patient’s pain.
Drug-Free Patch
ActiPatch was recently FDA-approved for all types of musculoskeletal pain (knee, back, and joint pain, aND pain from sprains and arthritis). This over-the-counter drug-free patch works on nerves by enabling them to unlearn pain through small electromagnetic waves.
Topical
Patients with diabetic neuropathy suffer from chronic pain, which is often left unresolved with current systemic treatments. A new topical pain patch consisting of 8 percent capsaicin was FDA-approved recently. This non-opioid treatment offers the capsaicin into the skin non-systemically.
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