The following is a summary of “Use of High-Dose Intravenous L-Ascorbate in Pain Therapy: Current Evidence from the Literature: A prospective clinical study,” published in the June 2024 issue of Pain by Likar, et al.

Though pain is a common reason to see a doctor and pain relievers exist, effectively treating the source of pain remains challenging, with antioxidants showing promise in reducing inflammation and tissue damage.

Researchers conducted a retrospective study investigating the historical underestimation of L-ascorbate (vitamin C) and antioxidants in managing pain.

Using evidence-based medicine, they assessed the therapeutic effects of L-ascorbate (ascorbic acid, vitamin C) on pain conditions. Articles were sourced from PubMed and evaluated independently by two experts for evidence level and methodological quality,  aimed to establish pain therapy recommendations for intravenous L-ascorbate based on a critical literature assessment.

The results showed that 14 articles from PubMed, including controlled clinical trials and meta-analyses, were identified. An additional ten publications were found in secondary literature. Evidence supports ascorbate’s efficacy in treating inflammatory pain, complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), post-zoster neuralgia, neuropathic pain, post-operative pain, and tumor-related pain. However, studies varied in administration type, dosage, treatment duration, and research quality. Despite the heterogeneity, high-quality research consistently supports L-ascorbate’s effectiveness in pain management.

Investigators concluded that high-dose intravenous L-ascorbate, rather than oral vitamin C, effectively targeted oxidative stress, a root cause of pain, due to its superior bioavailability.

Source: link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40122-024-00622-5