Magnesium is an essential macromineral that has a very wide and diverse number of physiological functions and is therefore highly important in human nutrition. One of the roles of magnesium is in pain relief and this antinociceptive effect is thought to occur through an antagonist interaction with the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor in the brain. A number of studies have investigated the effects of magnesium through various forms of administration, and consistent evidence points to a pain relieving effect particularly relating to fibromyalgia, dysmenorrhea, headaches, and acute migraine attacks. However, other mechanisms may also contribute towards this pain relieving effect as magnesium is also a calcium channel blocker and as such a muscle relaxant. Therefore in certain applications, such as migraine where some degree of muscle spasm may be involved, the pain relieving effect may come from direct treatment of the underlying cause of the pain, increasing the usefulness of magnesium in these conditions.
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