Oxytocin in Chronic Pain: From Analgesic to Biopsychosocial Adjuvant—An Opinion Paper

Chronic pain remains a major clinical challenge, with current treatments often providing insufficient relief. Oxytocin, classically recognized for its roles in reproduction and social bonding, has gained increasing attention for its potential involvement in pain modulation. Evidence suggests that oxytocin influences both nociceptive processing and broader dimensions of pain, including stress regulation, emotional appraisal, and coping. Despite this promise, clinical findings remain mixed. In this opinion paper, we summarize and discuss the rationale and current clinical evidence for the role of oxytocin in chronic pain (management), highlighting key research gaps and outlining future directions focused on: endogenous oxytocin system variability, biological modulators of its effects, dosing and timing strategies, and the role of psychosocial context. We propose that oxytocin should be reconceptualized not as a straightforward analgesic, but as a biopsychosocial adjuvant that strengthens resilience and coping. Positioning oxytocin within this framework may clarify for whom, when, and under what conditions oxytocin can be most effective, and ultimately guide its translational potential in chronic pain management.