Physiological and pharmacological evidence both have demonstrated a critical role for
voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs) in many types of chronic pain syndromes because
these channels play a fundamental role in the excitability of neurons in the central and
peripheral nervous systems. Alterations in function of these channels appear to be intimately
linked to hyperexcitability of neurons. Many types of pain appear to reflect neuronal
hyperexcitability, and importantly, use-dependent sodium channel blockers are effective in …