Recent Developments in the Management of Post- Traumatic Pain

A variety of analgesic options are currently available for the treatment of acute and chronic post-traumatic pain (PTP). These include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), opioids, and adjuvant analgesics (i.e., antidepressants, anticonvulsants, N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists), as well as muscle relaxants and local anesthetics. Unfavorable safety profiles have limited the use of many of these drugs in PTP management, however, and PTP often remains inadequately treated. Contemporary research has focused on the development of more efficacious pharmaceuticals with fewer associated side-effects, as well as on the use of non-pharmaceutical approaches, such as neurofeedback, to facilitate or enhance analgesia. This review discusses these advances in detail, providing an overview of the recent developments in the management of PTP.