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Each year there are approximately 45,000 burn injuries requiring hospitalization in the US, and opioids are the primary analgesic for these patients. However a range of side effects, as well as a high potential for addiction, often limit dose levels and frequency of use. There is therefore a need to develop effective non-opioid alternatives for treating burn pain. The purpose of this investigation was to assess the potential of curcumin, a naturally occurring anti-inflammatory agent that is highly abundant in the spice turmeric (Curcuma longa), as an analgesic for thermal injury pain. To accomplish this, male rats were subjected to a hind paw full thickness thermal injury protocol. The latency to paw withdrawal (PWL) from a noxious thermal stimulus or a mechanical stimulus was recorded prior to thermal injury (baseline), and at 24, 48, and 72 hours, and 1 week following thermal injury. We demonstrate that curcumin …