Abstract

Neuropathic pain may be the consequence of an injury or dysfunction of the nerves, spinal cord, or brain, resulting in the nociceptive system behaving abnormally with there being a total lack of a causal relationship between tissue injury and pain. Epidemiological research has shown that the prevalence of neuropathic pain is probably between 6.9% and 10% worldwide. This painful condition is a major clinical problem, as it represents a debilitating condition that seriously compromises the quality of life. In addition, neuropathic pain and its associated syndromes share an important pharmacological feature in that they respond poorly, or only partially, to the available therapies, which often have significant adverse effects. Therefore, there is still a need to explore new therapeutic strategies in order to identify effective and safer drugs with minimal or at least reduced, adverse effects. This review examines a number of preclinical and clinical studies using omega-3 PUFAs in the treatment of neuropathic pain. However, further studies are still needed to determine the potential use of chronic omega-3 fatty acids in peripheral neuropathic pain.