The Role of the Central Nervous System in the Generation and Maintenance of Chronic Pain in Rheumatoid Arthritis, Osteoarthritis and Fibromyalgia

Overview

Journal Arthritis Res Ther

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Rheumatology

Date 2011 May 6

PMID 21542893

Citations 137

Authors

Yvonne C Lee

Nicholas J Nassikas

Daniel J Clauw

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Pain is a key component of most rheumatologic diseases. In fibromyalgia, the importance of central nervous system pain mechanisms (for example, loss of descending analgesic activity and central sensitization) is well documented. A few studies have also noted alterations in central pain processing in osteoarthritis, and some data, including the observation of widespread pain sensitivity, suggest that central pain-processing defects may alter the pain response in rheumatoid arthritis patients. When central pain is identified, different classes of analgesics (for example, serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, α2δ ligands) may be more effective than drugs that treat peripheral or nociceptive pain (for example, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and opioids).

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