Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) use for self-management of pain: Insights from cross-sectional and ecological momentary assessment data.

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 di

SUBMITTER: Mun CJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11781972 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature