Understanding the Mechanisms of Pain in Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Resource Type
- Authors
- Kathryn Biddle; Nidhi Sofat
- Source
- Rheumatoid Arthritis-Other Perspectives towards a Better Practice ISBN: 9781839625329
- Subject
- musculoskeletal diseases
030203 arthritis & rheumatology
medicine.medical_specialty
business.industry
InformationSystems_INFORMATIONSTORAGEANDRETRIEVAL
medicine.disease
Dermatology
03 medical and health sciences
0302 clinical medicine
Rheumatoid arthritis
Medicine
business
GeneralLiterature_REFERENCE(e.g.,dictionaries,encyclopedias,glossaries)
030217 neurology & neurosurgery
- Language
Pain is a debilitating feature of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and is often described by patients as their most important symptom. Rheumatoid arthritis pain has traditionally been attributed solely to joint inflammation, however despite the advent of increasingly effective disease modifying agents, patients continue to report pain at long term follow up. The cause for ongoing pain is multifactorial and includes joint damage and pain sensitisation. In this book chapter, we will describe the mechanisms underlying the distinct components of pain which are manifest in rheumatoid arthritis and discuss why a thorough assessment of pain is vital to target treatments appropriately.