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In 1986, the World Health Organization (WHO) proposed the WHO analgesic ladder to provide adequate pain relief for cancer patients.[1] The analgesic ladder was part of a vast health program termed the WHO Cancer Pain and Palliative Care Program, aimed at improving strategies for cancer pain management through educational campaigns, creating shared strategies, and developing a global network of support.

This analgesic path, developed following the recommendations of an international group of experts, has undergone several modifications over the years and is currently applied for managing cancer pain but also acute and chronic non-cancer painful conditions due to a broader spectrum of diseases such as degenerative disorders, musculoskeletal diseases, neuropathic pain disorders, and other types of chronic pain. The efficiency of the strategy is debatable and yet to be proven through large-scale …