Modern Approaches to Chronic Pain: Non-Opioid Pharmacologic Strategies

In an era defined by the urgent need to move beyond opioids, this book provides a clear and practical guide to safer, evidence-based pain management. Grounded in advances in pain neuroscience, the text presents a mechanism-based approach to treating nociceptive, neuropathic, inflammatory, and centralized pain—empowering clinicians to deliver effective, individualized analgesia while minimizing risk. Comprehensive in scope, the book covers the full spectrum of non-opioid therapies, from foundational agents such as acetaminophen and NSAIDs to adjuvant medications, muscle relaxants, topical analgesics, and emerging therapies including sodium channel blockers, cannabinoids, and NMDA receptor antagonists. Each chapter combines essential pharmacologic concepts with practical clinical guidance, including dosing, monitoring, adverse effects, contraindications, and patient-specific considerations. Designed for a broad multidisciplinary audience, this accessible resource bridges the gap between foundational pharmacology and bedside decision-making. It serves as both a clinical guide and academic reference for physicians, trainees, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals seeking to optimize non-opioid prescribing. At a time when precision, safety, and innovation are reshaping pain medicine, this book stands as an essential tool for improving patient outcomes and advancing care in the opioid-conscious era.