PAIN TREATMENT: PROCAINE THERAPY
Although the use of procaine in the treatment of chronic pain is relatively new, it has been used as a local anaesthetic since it was discovered by the research chemist, Einhorn, in 1905 as a synthetic alternative to cocaine.
It is still widely used to produce localised nerve blocks and has stood the test of time as far as toxicity and safety is concerned. Commonly known as Novocaine, it is very similar to a dental injection to block pain.
Its pain-killing action was first noted during the First World War, but was then largely forgotten. Its use, when given intravenously in the treatment of chronic pain, has been gradually established over the past ten years. This has been mainly due to the work of Dr K. Livingston of Toronto.
Is It addictive? This question is particularly important when the treatment of chronic pain is a continuing situation and the danger of addiction looms large.
Procaine is quite different from any narcotic. There is no evi¬dence that it produces any addiction or dependency despite pro-longed clinical trials involving hundreds of patients.
Initial studies presented at pain conferences in Australia are tending to confirm the safety of the treatment. Another more potent and longer lasting local anaesthetic, Xylocaine or Lidocaine is now being promoted as the first choice alternative to narcotics in acute migraine episodes in hospitals and clinics around the world. Like procaine this drug is administered directly into the vein.
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