Inflammatory pain and new therapeutic targets

Abstract

Pain is one of the cardinal manifestations of rheumatic disorders, which are quite prevalent and an important cause of morbidity and mortality in the population. In inflammatory rheumatic disorders, synovial inflammation causes peripheral and central sensitization by the nociceptive stimuli. This process is affected by the interaction of cognitive, sociocultural and enviromental factors of the individual, which affect the perception and interpretation of pain. Treatment of the underlying cause is the most important goal of the pain management. Treatment strategies only focusing on pain management can not prevent joint damage and disability. Therefore, we have been experiencing very promising results with the new disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and biological agents, which control the inflammatory process efficiently. Since there is an interaction of the somatic components (nociception and its central transmission) with the cognitive components (belief, mood and behavior), a combination of pharmacologic and cognitive-behavioral (including physical) therapies, appropriate to the individual patient, is recommended.