I an article in CMAJ’s rheumatology series, Simon Huang states that “narcotic analgesics should be avoided in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain.” Nothing could be further from the truth. The general consensus as stated in guidelines on the use of narcotics as well as among physicians dealing with chronic pain disorders is that narcotics are almost certainly underutilized in the treatme...

Muscle hyperalgesia and referred pain plays an important role in chronic musculoskeletal pain. New knowledge on the involved basic mechanisms and better methods to assess muscle pain in the clinic are needed to revise and optimize the treatment regimes. Increased muscle sensitivity is manifested as (1) pain evoked by a normally non-nociceptive stimulus (allodynia), (2) increased pain intensity ...

The objective of this review is to present outcome measurement tools for chronic musculoskeletal pain in rheumatology patients and to provide an overview of local pharmacological pain treatment. Reliable and valid assessment of pain is fundamental for both clinical trials and effective pain management. The complex nature of pain makes objective measurement impossible. Evaluation of chronic musc...

Painful conditions of the musculoskeletal system are some of the most important, and frustrating, chronic problems encountered in a clinical practice. One in two adults reported a chronic musculoskeletal condition, according to a recent national survey [1], twice the rate of reported cardiovascular or respiratory conditions. Yet despite the prevalence of chronic musculoskeletal pain, physicians...

BACKGROUND Self-care is often the first choice for people with chronic musculoskeletal pain. Self-care includes the use of non-prescription medications with no doctor's supervision, as well as the use of other modern and traditional treatment methods with no consultation of the health care provider. Self-care may have positive effects on the successful outcome of a multidisciplinary approach to...