Low-Dose Naltrexone: The Unexpected Chronic Pain Game-Changer?

I have a number of clients with pain from Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) or chronic pain problems. They suffer through an excruciating series of physician appointments, procedures and tests. They often end up with multiple diagnoses and treatment plans. Much to my surprise, several of them have been helped by low dose naltrexone (LDN). Naltrexone has been used in combination with other drugs to treat opioid use disorder.

This small-scale December 2025 study by Aalto et al., published in the Journal of Pain Research, reviewed 128 patients prescribed low-dose naltrexone and found that about 54% reported symptom improvement, with the highest response rates in patients with mast cell activation syndromes and arthritis-related conditions.

I’m watching LDN to see if it will become more commonly used or whether, like many previous medications that have promised to relieve chronic pain, it fizzles.

Read More: https://www.dovepress.com/real-world-effectiveness-and-tolerability-of-low-dose-naltrexone-to-tr-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-JPR