Introduction: Chronic
neuropathic pain is as a severe detriment to overall quality of life for millions of Americans. Current pharmacological treatment options for chronic
neuropathic pain are generally limited in efficacy and may pose serious adverse effects such as risk of abuse,
nausea,
dizziness, and cardiovascular events. Therefore, many individuals have resorted to methods of pharmacological self-treatment. This narrative review summarizes the existing literature on the utilization of two novel approaches for the treatment of
chronic pain,
cannabinoid constituents of Cannabis sativa and
alkaloid constituents of Mitragyna speciosa (kratom), and speculates on the potential therapeutic benefits of co-administration of these two classes of compounds. Methods: We conducted a narrative review summarizing the primary motivations for use of both kratom and cannabis products based on epidemiological data and summarize the pre-clinical evidence supporting the application of both
kratom alkaloids and
cannabinoids for the treatment of
chronic pain. Data collection was performed using the PubMed electronic database. The following word combinations were used: kratom and cannabis, kratom and
pain, cannabis and
pain, kratom and
chronic pain, and cannabis and
chronic pain. Results: Epidemiological evidence reports that the self-treatment of
pain is a primary motivator for use of both kratom and
cannabinoid products among adult Americans. Further evidence shows that use of
cannabinoid products may precede kratom use, and that a subset of individuals concurrently uses both kratom and
cannabinoid products. Despite its growing popularity as a form of self-treatment of
pain, there remains an immense gap in knowledge of the therapeutic efficacy of
kratom alkaloids for
chronic pain in comparison to that of cannabis-based products, with only three pre-clinical studies having been conducted to date. Conclusion: There is sufficient epidemiological evidence to suggest that both kratom and cannabis products are used to self-treat
pain, and that some individuals actively use both drugs, which may produce potential additive or synergistic therapeutic benefits that have not yet been characterized. Given the lack of pre-clinical investigation into the potential therapeutic benefits of
kratom alkaloids against forms of
chronic pain, further research is warranted to better understand its application as a treatment alternative.