Clinical Management of Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is a complex phenomenon with a huge burden in terms of personal and socioeconomic costs. Disability, emotional imbalance, and social isolation are frequently associated with chronic pain, leading to a vicious circle that compromises quality of life in affected patients. The condition's diagnosis and treatment is often challenging due to difficulties in recognizing specific pathogenetic mechanisms; the presence of overlapping phenomena; the coexistence of psychological distress, anxiety and catastrophizing; the impact of systemic therapy; the difficulties related to follow up; and the roles of systemic and invasive therapies. This Special Issue will explore all these aspects: the pathophysiologies of complex pain syndromes are described, providing diagnostic frameworks for specific pain patterns, (such as migraine, fibromyalgia or persistent spinal pain) with both questionnaires and supporting exams. In addition, recent evidence on using therapeutic strategies for treatment and follow up for chronic complex pain conditions such as osteoarthritis and persistent spinal pain are proposed. Moreover, novel approaches to evaluate pain in a multidimensional way or with supporting technology are suggested to create an individualized and integrated precision medicine model of pain management.