Assessment of Musculoskeletal Pain: Experimental and Clinical

Introduction Key characteristics of musculoskeletal pain are (i) diffuse aching pain, (ii) referred pain to distant somatic structures, (iii) deep-tissue hyperalgesia (general and localized), (iv) transition from acute to chronic pain, and (v) disturbed muscle function with reduced contraction force. Methods for quantitative assessment of musculoskeletal pain characteristics provide clinically relevant information allowing clinicians to plan, optimize, and possibly revise treatment procedures. In addition, these methods can be used as research tools when exploring the fundamental mechanisms involved in musculoskeletal pain and provide information on the mode-of-action of analgesic compounds under development or currently used for treatment.