Spinal drug delivery

Clinicians currently base decisions regarding the use of intrathecal drug therapy for chronic pain on reports from uncontrolled and retrospective studies that fail to rely on standardized outcome measures. In this article, we summarize what is known about currently administered intrathecal therapies, including opioids, gamma-aminobutyric acid agonists, alpha-2 adrenoreceptor agonists, local anesthetics (sodium channel antagonists), calcium channel antagonists, miscellaneous agents, and drug combination therapy. In addition, we offer a brief look at novel approaches that may revolutionize intrathecal drug delivery.