Low Dose Naltrexone for Chronic Pain From Arthritis
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2019-12-31
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Over 100 million Americans report chronic pain. Veterans are disproportionately affected for
multiple reasons, including injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder. Treatment for
chronic pain is a priority research area for the VA. One of the most common causes of chronic
pain is osteoarthritis (OA). OA is attributable to "wear and tear," but reasons for pain are
complex. Inflammatory arthritis (IA) includes multiple severe diseases that affect 2-3% of
persons and require treatment with immune-suppressive drugs to prevent joint destruction.
Pain often persists despite effective treatment. Pain in arthritis results from multiple
sources: inflammation, perception of pain in the joint, and interpretation of pain by the
brain. Unfortunately, management of pain in arthritis remains a challenge. Low dose
naltrexone is a widely used but unproven "alternative" approach to chronic pain. It is
attractive for study because it is safe and is proposed to work on all three pathways that
contribute to pain. A small but high-quality clinical trial is needed to determine whether to
invest in definitive studies.