Cobra Venom:  The Slithering Snake’s Healing Properties

The fascination and fear of snakes dates back to time immemorial.  Owing to their lethality, snakes have often been associated with images of deception, treachery and death. However, snakes did not always have such negative connotations. The medicinal benefits of venom have been known since ancient times, also making the snake a symbol of pharmacy and medicine. 

Today, there is renewed interest in pursuing snake-venom-based therapies. Snake venom has been used to treat thrombosis, arthritis, cancer, immune dysfunction, viral infections, delirium, hallucinations, chorea and melancholia.  The primary components of these venoms are neuroactive peptides – small proteins that bind to the specific receptors in the Central nervous system (CNS) and the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

Research proves that minute doses of cobra venom were superior to morphine in terms of pain relief.   Snake venom showed a longer onset of action but possessed a longer duration of activity than traditional morphine.  The action of the cobra venom peptides can be many times longer than that of opiates.   Studies show cobra venom lasting up to six times longer than morphine!

Approximately 40 million American adults suffer from chronic pain, defined as pain that persists for 3 months or more.  As the population of baby boomers ages, that number will increase too.   For doctors, it is generally more challenging to treat chronic pain rather than acute pain, as side effects from many prescriptions and over the counter (OTC) pain-relieving drugs pose a serious threat and health risks with long term use. 

The most common causes of chronic pain in America include: Back Aches, Migraines, Neuralgia, Fibromyalgia, Arthritis, Cancer and Repetitive stress injuries.  The treatment for all this pain comes with a hefty price tag. According to the American Pain Society, the estimate cost of pain to the US economy is over 100$ billion, with 20 billion being spent directly on analgesics

What is neuropathic pain?

Neuropathic pain is a chronic pain that results from a disease affecting the somatosensory nervous system. In patients with this type of pain, they experience abnormal sensations dubbed as dysesthesia or pain from normally non-painful stimuli (allodynia). Some patients may experience chronic pain, while others suffer from episodic attacks.

The condition affects peripheral fibers and central neurons, experienced by about 7 to 10 percent of the general population. There are many causes of neuropathic pain, including aging, diabetes mellitus, and chemotherapy.

At present, neuropathic pain is common but poorly treated. The management of the condition includes using tricyclic antidepressants or serotonin or noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SSRI). In some cases, patients receive tramadol or topical lidocaine, and in more severe patients, stronger opioids are used.

The condition dramatically impairs quality of life; hence, many studies focus on finding a promising treatment for chronic pain.

The newest therapy based on this research has resulted in the production of OTC products that contain varying amounts of neuroactive peptides.   Most products are derived from Asian cobra venom.  These products are proven to be safe and effective in reducing inflammation, relieving pain and treating certain medical conditions without the side effect profile of traditional therapies.  

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