Journal of Pain
August 1, 2026
Jon G. Dean, Ethan Hurwitz, T. Furnish et al.
Phantom limb pain (PLP) is a refractory condition defined by pain experienced in a missing limb. Psilocybin, a classical serotonergic psychedelic drug, can alleviate various treatment-resistant disorders but has scantly been investigated for chronic pain. This placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized clinical pilot trial (NCT05224336) tested the feasibility, tolerability, and preliminary...
Pain Medicine
December 10, 2024
Christopher L. Robinson, Pawan Solanki, S Snyder et al.
Known for their capacity to alter perception and consciousness, psychedelics are increasingly being explored for therapeutic applications in treating conditions such chronic pain, major depressive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.1,2 Despite historical stigmas and legal restrictions, recent changes in legislation and the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recognition...
Clinical Case Reports
September 1, 2024
David S Jevotovsky, Harman Chopra, Court Wing et al.
9 citations
Key Clinical Message Psilocybin shows promise as a treatment for CRPS, offering significant pain relief and functional improvement in a patient with refractory symptoms. This case highlights the need for further research into psilocybin's efficacy and optimal dosing for chronic pain management.
Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine
August 5, 2024
Harman Chopra, Shravani Durbhakula, Alexander Shustorovich et al.
8 citations
Background/Importance Chronic pain affects many people globally, requiring alternative management strategies. Psilocybin is gaining attention for its potential in chronic pain management despite being classified as Schedule I. Objective This systematic review critically evaluates the evidence for psilocybin, a Schedule I substance, in the treatment of chronic pain. The exact purpose of the...
Clinical Case Reports
May 28, 2024
Harman Chopra, Tim Furnish, Monica Verduzco-Gutierrez et al.
6 citations
Key Clinical Message Long‐COVID syndrome lacks effective holistic treatment options. We present a case of a 41‐year‐old fully vaccinated female with Long‐COVID syndrome who obtained significant symptomatic relief after self‐medicating with psilocybin and MDMA. Abstract Long‐COVID, a syndrome persisting after the acute phase of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), lacks effective holistic...
Front Pain Res (Lausanne)
April 19, 2024
Maya Armstrong, Joel Castellanos, Devon Christie
15 citations
Despite research advances and urgent calls by national and global health organizations, clinical outcomes for millions of people suffering with chronic pain remain poor. We suggest bringing the lens of complexity science to this problem, conceptualizing chronic pain as an emergent property of a complex biopsychosocial system. We frame pain-related physiology, neuroscience, developmental...
April 2, 2024
Harman Chopra, Timothy Furnish, Monica Verduzco-Gutierrez et al.
IntroductionCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a highly contagious respiratory illness caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus was first identified in Wuhan, China in December 2019 and has since spread
Pain
September 5, 2022
Matthew Lyes, Joel Castellanos, Timothy Furnish et al.
55 citations
Abstract Psychedelic serotonergic agonists such as psilocybin have recently been shown to produce sustained benefit in refractory depression, end of life anxiety, and addiction when administered in hallucinogenic doses and coupled with psychotherapy. Although it has been suggested that similar high-dose protocols may help chronic pain conditions, there are few published clinical trials of...
Cureus
September 1, 2022
Joshua S Kurtz, Neal A Patel, Julian L Gendreau et al.
35 citations
Although early therapeutic research on psychedelics dates back to the 1940s, this field of investigation was met with many cultural and legal challenges in the 1970s. Over the past two decades, clinical trials using psychedelics have resumed. Therefore, the goal of this study was to (1) better characterize the recent uptrend in psychedelics in clinical trials and (2) identify areas where...
Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine
May 4, 2020
Joel Castellanos, C. Leonard Woolley, Kelly Bruno et al.
118 citations
The development of chronic pain is a complex mechanism that is still not fully understood. Multiple somatic and visceral afferent pain signals, when experienced over time, cause a strengthening of certain neural circuitry through peripheral and central sensitization, resulting in the physical and emotional perceptual chronic pain experience. The mind-altering qualities of psychedelics have been...