Tramadol: An Analgesic to Treat Chronic Pain

Pain is defined by the International Association for the Study of Pain as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage. Pain has now been equated to a fifth vital sign highlighting the significance of pain management in patient care. Tramadol is a centrally acting analgesic which is structurally related to codeine and morphine. It is effectively used to treat moderate to severe acute and chronic pain in diverse conditions. Tramadol is placed on the second step of WHO analgesic ladder and in contrast to traditional opioids, exerts its analgesic activity, a dual mechanism of action inhibiting transmission as well as perception of pain. Tramadol is more suitable than NSAID’s and coxib’s for patient with GI, renal and cardiovascular problems. Combined with low dependence/abuse potential, it has proven to be of significant advantage over other agents especially in the elderly.