title: Calcitonin for acute neuropathic pain associated with spinal cord injury.
abstract: Neuropathic pain associated with spinal cord injury is caused by complex neural mechanisms and is often refractory to standard therapy. Salmon calcitonin was an effective treatment for neuropathic symptoms in this case series of three patients with recent spinal cord injury. Salmon calcitonin is already used to help manage pain after limb amputation and also after vertebral fractures and it is perhaps surprising that it has not been trialled previously for spinal cord injury pain. Calcitonin is thought to exert its effect by modulation of the serotonergic system and is generally well tolerated and convenient to administer. This underutilised drug may be a very useful adjuvant for neuropathic pain associated with spinal cord injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, Pain Management Unit, Royal Adelaide Hospital, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Humble
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000150:complications; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D046748:Hematoma, Epidural, Spinal / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009049:Motorcycles; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology*; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000150:complications; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000187:drug effects; D011128:Polyradiculopathy / Q000150:complications; D011782:Quadriplegia / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D002116:Calcitonin