Utilization of Magnesium for the Treatment of Chronic Pain
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Date
2021-02-06
Authors
0000-0002-3652-6085 Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Brieflands
Abstract
Context: The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) defines chronic pain as pain that persists or recurs for longer than 3 months. Chronic pain has a significant global disease burden with profound effects on health, quality of life, and socioeconomic costs. Evidence Acquisition: Narrative review. Results: There are several treatment options, including pharmacological therapy, physical rehabilitation, psychological therapies, and surgical interventions, for chronic pain management. Magnesium has been FDA-approved for several indications including hypomagnesemia, arrhythmia, prevention of seizures in eclampsia/preeclampsia, and constipation. Magnesium has been used for numerous off-label uses, notably for acute and chronic pain management. The mechanism of magnesium in pain management is primarily through its action as a voltage-gated antagonist of NMDA receptors, which are involved in pain transduction. Conclusions: This narrative review will focus on the current evidence and data surrounding the utilization of magnesium as a treatment option for chronic pain.