Medical or Therapeutic uses
In traditional medicine, people use Kratom to treat pain, opiate withdrawal, as a coffee or stimulant substitute, and diarrhea among many other uses. A small minority of users take it to prolong or intensify sexual intercourse.

• Moderate to Severe Pain


Kratom is used as an alternative to over the counter and even furthermore, prescription pain medicine. Whether the patient prefers an alternative method of pain relief, cannot deal with the negative side effects and tolerance build up with prescription pain meds, or is feeling the economic times with health insurance and high priced health care, Kratom is becoming very well known. Kratom has been reported to have taken the place of brand name drugs like Hydrocodone or Oxycodone for individuals, all the way to weaning people off of Heroin.
 

• Opium Substitute
  All over the world Kratom is often used as a substitute for opium when opium is unavailable, or for moderate to severe opiate addiction. Kratom is used to gradually wean the user off narcotics. Instantly or within a few days, the addict would stop use of the narcotic they are addicted to, and the cravings and withdrawal will be moderated by the binding of Kratom’s alkaloids to the opioid receptors. Kratom could also perhaps be used as a maintenance drug for addicts not wishing to quit but trying to moderate an out of hand addiction. In more recent times, Kratom has been used in New Zealand for methadone addiction detox. Kratom was taken whenever the patient experienced withdrawal symptoms, over a 6 week treatment period. In 1999, Pennapa Sapcharoen, director of the National Institute of Thai Traditional Medicine in Bangkok said that Kratom could be prescribed both to opiate addicts and to patients suffering from depression, but stressed that further research is needed.
   

• Mood and Anxiety
  According to several sources Kratom also affects your mood and lower anxiety. It is widely known that Kratom can have a positive effect on your mood, but there have been no studies on the long-term use.
  
  WARNING: Depression and anxiety are chronic illnesses and if you suffer from them, you should visit a medical specialist.
   

• Anti-Diarrheal
  Amazingly, Kratom is widely used to treat diarrhea as an effective and natural substitute to over the counter or prescription medication.
   

• Adult Attention Deficit Disorder
  It has been reported that Kratom can also be used to treat the symptoms of Adult Attention Deficit Disorder, but very little is known about this. It is believed that Kratom’s stimulating effects are an effective tool against ADD.

Traditional Uses
Kratom, and more specifically mitragynine, is known for its positive effects on your mood. It stimulates your body and thus increases activity. Traditionally, Kratom was mostly used as a stimulant by Thai peasants, laborers, and farmers who used the plant to overcome the burdens of their hard work and meager existences. These people use Kratom on a daily basis. Some studies have found no addiction problems in villagers using Kratom, while others apparently have. Heavy users may ingest Kratom between 3 and 10 times a day. While new users may only need a few grams or capsules to obtain the desired effects. In some parts of the country, it was said that parents would choose to give their daughters in marriage to men who used Kratom. The belief is that Kratom users are hard working. This belief is also maintained by many of the users themselves, who report beginning use because of a desire to work more efficiently, and who say using the drug gives them a strong desire to do work. Consequently, Kratom has the dubious honor of being banned in the country it originated from and has been used traditionally for centuries.

Recreational Use
In recent years Kratom has gained popularity as recreational drug, due to its narcotic-like effects, producing feelings of euphoria similar to prescription opiates. It is a good alternative for real narcotics, because it is legal to possess in most all but 9 countries and it is not strongly addictive. There are different methods of using Kratom. Most users describe the effects as stimulating and euphoric, for some it also has a relaxing and analgesic effect. People report feeling euphoric, and still energetic enough to function completely normal. Most sources say that it is a stimulant in lower servings, becoming sedative in higher servings. If an individual is using illicit drugs for recreation, Kratom is a natural substitute and has proven to aid in withdrawals.