If you’re currently or have ever experienced acute pain, having the right care team is vital. They can personalize your treatment, taking into account factors such as your medical history and lifestyle habits, to provide a multi-pronged approach to managing your pain.
First-line treatment for acute pain is typically acetaminophen (Tylenol) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen (Advil). Opioids can also be an effective pain reliever, but come with serious risks, like extreme fatigue (sedation) and addiction.
For this reason, researchers continue to search for safe and effective alternatives. Presently, new treatments are emerging that may become part of your treatment plan.
Here are seven breakthrough treatments that care teams use or may use in the future for acute pain.
Suzetrigine (Journavx) is a new pain relief medication available for the treatment of moderate to severe pain.
It’s the first non-opioid pain relief medication that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved. The medication works by acting on sodium channels in your nerves, preventing pain signals from reaching the brain.
Unlike opioids, suzetrigine doesn’t cause sedation, slowed breathing, or addiction.
2. Injections of local anesthetic
Local anesthetics can be effective at relieving acute pain. Doctors sometimes use it as a continuous infusion by means of a catheter to prevent acute pain after surgery.
Single injections of a long-acting local anesthetic, like liposomal bupivacaine (Exparel), are a newer treatment option that can also be effective. This option may be preferable for many people over continuous injections that require a catheter because it enables the person to move around and stay active.
Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor antagonists (GLP-1s) are well known for their ability to help people lose weight and manage diabetes.
However, a 2024 study of mice suggests that GLP-1s may also reduce pain, perhaps in a similar way as eating high fat, high-sugar foods helps people cope with pain.
Scientists believe the pain-relieving effects of GLP-1s may be due to their ability to stimulate the release of natural pain-relieving hormones, like beta-endorphins. The drug may also be able to inhibit inflammation and oxidative stress in the body. However, further research is needed.
Psilocybin (the psychoactive drug found in “magic mushrooms”), lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and other psychedelic serotonergic agonists may help with pain relief for some people and conditions.
For example, they’ve been shown to help reduce pain as a result of cancer, as well as phantom limbs and cluster headaches. Although promising, more research is required.
5. Virtual reality for acute pain
Virtual reality for acute pain and chronic pain is a potential new treatment that’s non-pharmacological and noninvasive.
Treatment involves people wearing a virtual reality (VR) headset for a visual experience that offers mindfulness training and distraction from their pain. Researchers have found that using VR to redirect attention in this way may help with neural reprocessing.
These treatments may also use augmented reality (AR), in which users see their body or current physical environment on a screen, with virtual elements overlaid, sometimes interacting with the environment.
For example, in one study of people with phantom limb pain, participants controlled a virtual hand displayed on a screen by imagining they were moving their own hand. A machine picked up signals in their brain and used them to make the virtual hand move.
Using VR therapies consistently for pain relief has been shown to produce changes in the sensory and motor regions of the brain.
An additional advantage of using AR for pain relief is that it can enhance patients’ use of telehealth. This can help them receive better care, even when they live remotely or face other difficulties in accessing a clinic.
VR wearables may also collect other physiological data from the patient, which can provide their healthcare team with more information about the person’s well-being.
Emerging neuromodulation technology is a form of wearable technology that can detect a person’s pain and deliver electrical stimulation or pain relief medication to a target area of their body to treat or manage it.
It’s typically used for chronic pain, but is under investigation for use with acute pain.
7. Artificial intelligence (AI) for pain relief
Used in conjunction with VR, AR, or other wearable devices, artificial intelligence (AI) models are now showing promise in learning to predict the onset of pain in patients and can be used to coach patients for improved pain prevention and management.
Combined with AI, wearable technology that gathers data on a patient’s physiological state may soon provide profound insights into patients’ well-being, enabling real-time pain management.
8. Multimodal pain management
There can be many causes of acute pain, including physical, emotional, and psychological factors. Because pain is complex, pain experts usually combine several approaches to treat it, rather than just one approach.
In addition to some of the previously mentioned treatment methods, multimodal approaches to acute pain management may include combinations of:
- NSAIDs, including:
- ibuprofen (Advil/Motrin)
- aspirin (Bayer)
- naproxen (Aleve)
- celecoxib (Celebrex)
- acetaminophen (Tylenol)
- opioid medications
- nerve pain blockers, such as gabapentin (Neurontin) or pregabalin (Lyrica)
- cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a type of talk therapy
Pain researchers are continuously looking for effective, safe pain relievers that can work as effectively as opioids. In recent years, a few new medications have been approved for use.
Emerging noninvasive technology solutions, like neuromodulation, VR, and AI, are exciting additions to multimodal pain management treatments that are also becoming available. Talk with your doctor if you’re interested in learning more about these treatment options.