A recent study enrolled patients with cervical myelopathy and diagnosed neuropathic pain (NP) (by the LANSS test). It randomized them to one of the two study groups. The participants in one study group received opioids only, while those in the other group received both opioids and pregabalin. 

• The study enrolled Thirty-nine patients (20 patients in the opioid-only group and 19 in the pregabalin add-on group). 
• The pregabalin add-on group showed significant improvement in The LANSS, neck pain, and arm pain scores compared with those in the opioid-only group after the first four weeks. However, this difference vanished during the next four weeks. 
• The two groups showed no significant difference in the neck disability index and EuroQol-5Dimension scores after four weeks and eight weeks of follow-up. 
• 20.0% of the patients in the opioid-only group and 26.3% in the pregabalin add-on group showed adverse events. However, over time, side effects and dropouts were reported more frequently in the pregabalin add-on group. 

Thus, pregabalin add-on treatment is more efficient than using opioids alone at the beginning of NP treatment in cervical myelopathy patients. However, physicians must be vigilant when prescribing it for more than four weeks.

Sci Rep. 2020; 10. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-65108-8