L-Lactate is required as a fuel for the continuous firing of nociceptors that produce many of the manifestations of chronic pain. Polymer D-lactic acid (PDLA) forms a spontaneous non-enzymatic, thermodynamically favored stereocomplex with sequestration of l-lactate or “trapping” of l-lactate. Injection or topical application of PDLA can reduce pain by decreasing the l-lactate available to activated nociceptors without sequestering lactate in non-disrupted nerves. C fibers and unmyelinated visceral afferents are most sensitive to the analgesia produced by PDLA. PDLA can be used to ameliorate pain from a wide variety of medical conditions including skin ulcers, wounds and burns causalgia, radiculopathy, neuropathy arthritis and cancer. PDLA oligomers can be inexpensively produced from d-lactic acid in a home microwave. The predicted toxicity of PDLA is low and topical application or injection into perineural tissues for relief of pain may be very safe.
