The Use of Psychedelics in Chronic Pain – A Scoping Review
RevSALUS - Revista Científica da Rede Académica das Ciências da Saúde da Lusofonia February 7, 2025 Hugo Santos, Catarina Redinha, Catarina Pereira et al.
Chronic pain affects a large portion of the global population, and current treatments are often insufficient, prompting exploration of psychedelics. This scoping review mapped the literature on psychedelics for chronic pain, analyzing 15 publications. Both macrodoses and microdoses of classic psychedelics showed therapeutic potential, with several studies reporting improvements in pain perception. However, significant limitations include methodological variability, lack of dosage and protocol specificity, and absence of studies combining psychedelics with other recommended therapies. Some adverse side effects were noted. The authors conclude that psychedelics are promising but research is limited and should be approached cautiously, recommending primary efficacy studies before further reviews.