The quality of life of over 50 million Americans is jeopardized by chronic pain. A good pain relief method must be found, but many traditional options carry risks, such as addiction and overdose. It has left many looking at alternatives like kratom, an herbal supplement that has been used traditionally for pain relief and other benefits. Specifically, concentrated kratom extracts are growing in popularity for their potent effects.
Kratom extracts
Tropical tree Mitragyna speciosa comes from Southeast Asia. Traditionally, the leaves have been used to treat fatigue, pain, cough, and diarrhea. Most notably, mitragynine and 7-hydroxy mitragynine bind to opioid receptors in the brain. Alkaloids provide stimulant effects at low doses and analgesia, sedation, and euphoria at high doses. As a natural and largely safe way to manage opioid withdrawal and pain, kratom powders and teas have gained global acceptance. More recently, concentrated commercial kratom extract has emerged, offering stronger analgesic and psychological effects. Let’s take a closer look at these extracts and how they compare to prescription opioids for pain relief.
How are they used?
Kratom extracts start with fresh or dry kratom leaves, then utilize solvents like hot water, lemon juice, acetic acid, or alcohol to extract and concentrate the bioactive alkaloids. It produces a dried resinoid or powder that contains much higher alkaloid levels than plain leafs. For example, while traditional kratom powders contain on average 1-2% alkaloids, various commercial extracts contain 20x, 50x, or even 99x extractions, boosting alkaloid content as high as 60%.
Due to their potency, users are advised to begin with half or even a quarter dose of extracts versus plain leaf. Most people use about 1-5 grams of dried powdered extract ingested orally by mixing into a drink. Since their introduction to the Western market, these high-level extracts have soared in popularity thanks to their convenience, ability to fine-tune dosing, and energizing or sedating capabilities depending on the extract type and dosage.
Pain relief efficacy
Considering these safer characteristics, how does kratom compare to opioids specifically for analgesia or pain relief? Limited comparative human studies and numerous anecdotal reports overwhelmingly indicate that properly dosed kratom is often as, or even more, potent for pain relief. Kratom likely exhibits analgesia through activity at mu-opioid receptors as well as serotonergic and adrenergic mechanisms making its pain relief less sedative but holistic. Survey studies consistently show the majority of kratom users rate its analgesic effects as equal to or exceeding prescription opioids. In an animal study directly comparing analgesia from mitragynine (kratom’s primary alkaloid) to morphine, researchers found no significant difference in pain threshold increase – suggesting equivalence in strength.
What’s more, kratom may possess advantages over opioids in some regards. Its pain relief doesn’t seem to diminish over time, avoiding problems of tolerance. Anecdotal reports claim kratom alleviates certain types of neuropathic pain that are partially or fully resistant even to potent opioids. Due to its anti-inflammatory, immune-enhancing, muscle-relaxing, and psychologically uplifting properties, kratom users often describe its pain relief as exceedingly well-rounded. For these reasons, some chronic pain sufferers even report preferring kratom to opioids prescribed to them. Considering these ongoing high efficacy reports combined with kratom avoiding opioid pitfalls like respiratory depression, overdose, and addiction – there is increasing recognition that it surpasses opioids for treating many types of pain. Especially for chronic pain that requires long-term management, kratom extracts present what is likely a far safer yet equally powerful option.
