Methods for Chronic Pain Management and Treatment using HCG

Abstract

A gonadotropin is administered within a surprisingly effective narrow range for the purpose of treating chronic pain or other central sensitization sequelae. In one aspect, a recipient is provided with at least one of human chorionic gonadotropin (uHCG and / or rHCG), a pharmaceutically active HCG analogue, and a pharmaceutically active metabolite of the HCG or analogue at a dosage selected to provide, or be equivalent to, a human subcutaneous dosage of between 120 IU / day and 170 IU / day of HCG, and more preferably between 140 IU / day and 160 IU / day of HCG. A kit is also described, which includes a supply of the HCG-related drug, a delivery device, and a label that identifies chronic pain or central sensitization as an indication of the drug.

Description

[0001]This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13 / 211,101 filed Aug. 16, 2011 and also claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 475,908, filed Apr. 15, 2011, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The field of the invention is chronic pain management, and more specifically to administration of specific low doses of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG).BACKGROUND[0003]An ongoing and pervasive problem in the medical community is treating patients with chronic pain syndromes. It is well recognized today that chronic pain is fundamentally different from acute pain, also referred to as nociceptive pain, which pain results from a mechanical, chemical, metabolic or inflammatory insult.[0004]It has been recognized by some that since the mechanisms and pathways for chronic and acute pain are physiologically different, they require different approaches for treatment. Unfortu...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0028]In some instances, a clinician or other provider may have been administering or recommending HCG for some other purpose, or in some other dosage, not realizing that HCG can be effective to ameliorate chronic pain or central sensitization as claimed herein. In such instances it is contemplated that

Problems solved by technology

An ongoing and pervasive problem in the medical community is treating patients with chronic pain syndromes.

Unfortunately, many in the medical community continue to treat patients suffering from chronic pain syndromes with agents designed to address acute nociceptive pain pathways.

Such methods are often fraught with toxicity and dependence issues, and in the end are generally unsatisfactory in ending pain and / or improving quality of life.

This is created by the cellular integration of changes in molecular signaling, ion gradients and gene expression resulting in the perception of acute or chronic discomfort.

Due to the multiplicity of pathways involved in establishing central sensitization, chronic pain is a complex phenomenon that can be difficult to treat with single-pathway-active-agent therapy.

This may explain why there remains a critical dearth of effective medical interventions to treat chronic pain disorders.

Traditional pharmaceutical approaches generally deal with a single involved pathway, which tends to yield less than ideal results and is often associated with significant toxicity.

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