Treating osteoarthritis pain: mechanisms of action of acetaminophen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, opioids, and nerve growth factor antibodies.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common difficult-to-treat condition where the goal, in the absence of disease-modifying treatments, is to alleviate symptoms such as pain and loss of function. Acetaminophen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and opioids are common pharmacologic treatments for OA. Antibodies directed against nerve growth factor (NGF-Abs) are a new class of agents under clinical investigation for the treatment of OA.

Normalizing fibromyalgia as a chronic illness.

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a complex chronic disease that affects 3-10% of the general adult population and is principally characterized by widespread pain, and is often associated with disrupted sleep, fatigue, and comorbidities, among other symptoms. There are many gaps in our knowledge of FM, such that, compared with other chronic illnesses including diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and asthma, it is far behind in terms of provider understanding and therapeutic approaches. The experience that healthcare professionals (HCPs) historically gained in developing approaches to manage and treat patients with these chronic illnesses may help show how they can address similar problems in patients with FM.

Pregabalin for the treatment of neuropathic pain: a narrative review for primary care providers.

Background: Neuropathic pain (NeP) is a distinct type of pain caused by damage to the nervous system itself. This often severe and chronic type of pain requires specific treatments that target the underlying pain pathophysiology.

Aim: The purpose of the current narrative review is to provide an overview of pregabalin (Lyrica ) for the treatment of NeP including its effects on pain, pain-related sleep interference, and other health-related outcomes, timing of therapeutic effect, safety and tolerability, and dosing.

Neuropathic pain: a narrative review of etiology, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment for primary care providers.

Background: Neuropathic pain (NeP) is a distinct type of chronic pain that is a direct result of damage to the nervous system itself. Studies have shown that training on the topic of chronic pain in medical schools is lacking and many practitioners are not confident in their ability to effectively manage patients with such pain.

Aims: The purpose of this narrative review is to provide a brief high-level overview of NeP for primary healthcare providers that includes a discussion of mechanisms, prevalence, burden, assessment, and treatment.