I use Kratom to manage lower back pain. It is about as effective as Tramadol with less side effects and contraindications for me.
I'd give it a 1/10 on my addiction scale (with 1 - THC to 10 - A Year of Liquid Opium Poppy Daily Dose), and a 5/10 on my analgesic scale (1-Aspirin to 10-Opium Poppy).
I don't think the mechanisms are well understood. It definitely wipes out opiate withdrawal symptoms within hours of taking a small dose. And I've never had any physical symptoms from even month long cessation. I like to say 'my' scale, because efficacy and addictive properties of opiates and opiate analogs like Tramadol and Kratom vary pretty wildly. Tramadol is known to have and Kratom also seems to havem some strong SSRI actions also, not found in the other opiate analogs, Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, or nartural opiates.
I'd give it a 1/10 on my addiction scale (with 1 - THC to 10 - A Year of Liquid Opium Poppy Daily Dose), and a 5/10 on my analgesic scale (1-Aspirin to 10-Opium Poppy).
I don't think the mechanisms are well understood. It definitely wipes out opiate withdrawal symptoms within hours of taking a small dose. And I've never had any physical symptoms from even month long cessation. I like to say 'my' scale, because efficacy and addictive properties of opiates and opiate analogs like Tramadol and Kratom vary pretty wildly. Tramadol is known to have and Kratom also seems to havem some strong SSRI actions also, not found in the other opiate analogs, Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, or nartural opiates.