ArticleThe journal of pain2025
Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) use for self-management of pain: Insights from cross-sectional and ecological momentary assessment data.
Article in The journal of pain, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
What it found
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The trial behind it
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed.
- Oral administration of kratom leaf extract alleviates anxiety-like behavior, urinary bladder pain, voiding dysfunction, and bladder hypercontractility via attenuating muscarinic receptor response in male mice exposed to chronic water avoidance stress.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2026Article
- Multifaceted modulation of human opioid receptors by kratom alkaloids: binding affinity, functional selectivity, and allosteric activity.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2026Article
- Association of behavioral economic demand for kratom with DSM-5 use disorder: quantity and likelihood-based demand approaches.Addictive behaviors reports · 2025Article
- The Impact of Diverse Kratom Products on Use Patterns, Dependence, and Toxicity.Current psychiatry reports · 2025Review
- Is bedtime use of kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) a sleep aid or disruptor? Examining its daily effects and individual differences.Experimental and clinical psychopharmacology · 2025Article
- An Initial Survey Assessing the Temporal Relationship of Kratom Initiation With Medical Treatment and Substance Use.Substance use : research and treatmentArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is increasingly used in the US for self-management of pain, despite limited research on its efficacy and safety. To better understand how and why people use kratom for pain self-management, we analyzed baseline survey data (N = 395) and 15-day ecological momentary assessment (EMA) data (N = 357) from kratom consumers across the US. Although we recruited participants based on their kratom use, not on whether they used it for pain management, nearly half (49.1 %) met criteria for chronic pain, with many reporting substantial pain relief and high effectiveness of kratom in managing pain. A majority (69.2 %) reported difficulties in obtaining adequate pain treatment, and most indicated that these challenges impacted their decision to try kratom. Most participants did not report concerns about overuse or significant side effects. EMA data showed that, regardless of chronic-pain status, pain relief was the most frequently endorsed primary motivation for daily kratom use. There were no significant association between daily pain levels and kratom use frequency, and no difference in the daily kratom use between those with vs. without chronic pain. Recent kratom use was associated with lower current pain levels. Stronger subjective effects of kratom were associated with lower pain levels. This effect was significantly moderated by chronic-pain status: those with chronic pain showed a stronger link between subjective kratom effects and pain reduction. These findings underscore the urgent need for systematic, rigorous research on long-term implications, efficacy, and safety of kratom in pain management to guide informed clinical practices and regulatory policies. PERSPECTIVE: This study reveals that chronic pain is common among kratom consumers, who frequently use it for pain self-management and report significant relief, as shown by ecological momentary assessment. There is an urgent need for research into kratom's safety, efficacy, and mechanisms to guide clinical practice and inform policies.
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Registered trials
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