Related Experiment Videos
Topical clonidine for orofacial pain: a pilot study
1Department of Dentistry, Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre, British Columbia, Canada.
Journal of Orofacial Pain
|July 10, 1998
Summary
Topical clonidine cream showed potential for managing oral neuralgia-like pain, with significant pain reduction in some patients. However, its effectiveness was limited for oral neuropathic pain, warranting further investigation.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Neurology
- Pain Management
Background:
- Oral neuropathic pain and neuralgia present significant management challenges.
- Alpha-2 adrenergic agonists like clonidine have shown analgesic properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of topical clonidine in patients with oral neuropathic pain or neuralgia.
- To assess the potential of clonidine cream for managing oral pain conditions.
Main Methods:
- An open-label trial involving 17 patients diagnosed with oral neuropathic pain or neuralgia.
- Clonidine (0.2 mg/g) was prepared in a cream base and applied topically four times daily.
- Pain severity was assessed using a 10-point visual analogue scale.
Main Results:
- Topical clonidine resulted in a 36% mean reduction in burning severity for neuropathic pain patients, with 50% reporting improvement.
- 57% of patients with neuralgia-like pain improved, reporting a mean reduction of 54%.
- Two patients with neuralgia experienced complete pain resolution with topical clonidine.
Conclusions:
- Topical clonidine may be effective for some cases of oral neuralgia-like pain.
- Its efficacy appears more limited in patients with oral neuropathic pain.
- Further double-blind studies are warranted to confirm these findings.