Hanyang Med Rev.  2014 May;34(2):81-86. 10.7599/hmr.2014.34.2.81.

The Role of Central Sensitization in Chronic Pain of Rheumatic Diseases

• Lee HS

• KMID: 2284410
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.7599/hmr.2014.34.2.81

Abstract

Pain is the most common symptom of almost all rheumatic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, ankylosing spondylitis, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, and others. In addition to commonly known peripheral or nociceptive pain mechanisms, central sensitization plays an essential and significant role as a cause of chronic pain in rheumatic diseases. Chronic pain is also associated with several psychiatric diseases such as depression and anxiety disorders and other various central pain maladies such as irritable bowel syndrome and temporomandibular joint disorder. Therefore, many researchers and clinicians have inferred that similar therapeutic strategies may be employed against this spectrum of disorders. Utilizing recently gained understanding of chronic pain mechanisms will allow a targeted therapeutic approach to individuals who have rheumatologic disease with different spectrum of symptomatic severity and disability.

Keyword

Rheumatic Diseases; Chronic Pain; Central Nervous System Sensitization; Mental Disorders

MeSH Terms

Anxiety Disorders
Arthritis, Rheumatoid
Central Nervous System Sensitization*
Chronic Pain*
Depression
Fibromyalgia
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic
Mental Disorders
Nociceptive Pain
Osteoarthritis
Rheumatic Diseases*
Spondylitis, Ankylosing
Temporomandibular Joint Disorders

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Normal pain processing pathway. Modified from Ref. 6 with permission from Wolters Kluwer Health.

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