Review Articles
Neuropathic pain: targeting the melatonin MT2 receptor
South African Family Practice | Vol 58, No 4 : July/August| a4528 |
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/safp.v58i4.4528
| © 2016 N. Schellack
| This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 12 July 2016 | Published: 04 August 2016
Submitted: 12 July 2016 | Published: 04 August 2016
About the author(s)
N. Smith, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, South AfricaH. Ismail, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, South Africa
N. Schellack, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, South Africa
Full Text:
PDF (243KB)Abstract
Neuropathic pain affects a large proportion of the population and reduces a person’s ability to perform optimally. In South Africa, there are a host of factors that hinder the correct diagnosis and treatment of neuropathic pain. Patients suffering from neuropathic pain are treated suboptimally with NSAIDS and opioids as first-line therapy. In 2012, a South African guideline on neuropathic pain was released, which stated that opioid therapy should be reserved for last-line treatment only. More recently, melatonin, commonly known as the neurohormone that regulates the circadian rhythm, has come to light as a therapeutic treatment option in the neuropathic pain setting. Early clinical trials showed a link between melatonin and chronic pain, which includes neuropathic pain. The MT2 receptor has also been specifically linked to the control of neuropathic pain and inflammation.
Keywords
melatonin; neuropathic pain; MT2 receptor; opioids; NSAIDs
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