James D Adams
University of Southern California, USA
Title: A new approach to the treatment of severe pain: A topical liniment made from a California plant
Biography
Biography: James D Adams
Abstract
A pain cycle exists in the body that can begin in skin sensory neurons, continues to the spinal cord and the brain, and then returns to the spinal cord and the skin. Analgesia can occur at any of these neurons to break the pain cycle. Upon initiation of the pain cycle in chronic pain, several changes occur including cyclooxygenase 2 induction in the skin. Cyclooxygenase 2 is the major source of PGE2 that enhances pain at transient receptor potential cation channels in the skin. A traditional California plant medicine, made from Artemisia Californica, was found to be an effective treatment of severe and chronic pain including broken bones, cancer pain, back pain, fibromyalgia, diabetic neuropathy and more. The liniment contains monoterpenoids and sesquiterpenes. Transient receptor potential cation channels are the major pain receptors in the skin and can be inhibited by monoterpenes such as camphor, menthol and eucalyptol. These monoterpenes cross the skin and provide pain relief for several hours. Sesquiterpenes can cross the skin and inhibit cyclooxygenase 2. The combination of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes in the liniment provides several hours of pain relief.