Papers of the Week

Chronic pain remains a serious health problem with significant impact on morbidity and well-being. Available treatments have only resulted in relatively modest efficacy. Thus, novel therapeutic treatments with different mechanisms have recently generated empirical interest. Lidocaine is postulated to provide anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive effect through its action at the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and voltage gated calcium receptors. Emerging research indicates that lidocaine could be a reasonable alternative for treating chronic pain.