Advances in Chronic Pain Treatment

About this Research Topic

Background

Chronic pain is a complex and multifaceted condition affecting millions worldwide. This type of pain persists for more than three months and can be debilitating and profoundly affect an individual's quality of life. The understanding of the pathophysiology of chronic pain has advanced considerably in recent decades, providing a solid basis for the development of new therapies and therapeutic approaches. Neuroscience has played a key role in these advances, providing a deeper understanding of how the brain and central nervous system process pain, serving as a nexus for multiple disciplines to integrate in addressing this pathology. This Research Topic aims to address the most recent advances in the treatment of chronic pain, both primary and secondary (excluding low back pain, see footnote) by highlighting innovative therapies, advances in neuroscience, long-term pain management, and recent research in the field. With this focus, we hope to shed light on new strategies that could improve the lives of those suffering from chronic pain.

In this Research Topic, we will address the effective treatment of chronic pain, an ailment that affects millions of people and is often resistant to conventional treatments. This challenge is compounded by the complexity of chronic pain, which can involve physical as well as psychological and social factors. To address this problem, we will focus on multimodal pain management, a strategy that combines different therapeutic approaches. We intend to present the latest advances in this area, including innovations in physical therapies, psychological interventions, and the use of different pharmacological strategies or interventional treatments aimed at this type of persistent pain problem, with no restrictions on the approach, but leaving aside that which specifically affects the lower back region, which is dealt with in a specific topic due to its high prevalence (see footnote). We believe that, in this way, we will provide healthcare professionals with new tools and strategies to improve the quality of life of patients suffering from chronic pain.

The scope of this Research Topic will focus on the following specific subthemes:

Innovative advances in the treatment of primary or secondary chronic pain (excluding low back pain, see footnote).
New neuromodulation strategies and techniques, including transcranial electrical and magnetic stimulation, for the treatment of chronic pain.
The role of biobehavioural and educational strategies in the comprehensive management of chronic pain.
The use of new technologies and strategies related to artificial intelligence, machine learning, or other related technologies focused on the treatment of chronic pain.
The latest pharmacological treatment approaches to limit the use of opioid analgesics in the management of chronic pain.
Case studies of implementation of multimodal pain management in clinical practice.

We are interested in receiving the following manuscripts:

Systematic review articles that provide a comprehensive and up-to-date analysis of the above topics.
Original research articles presenting new findings in the field.
Case studies illustrating the effective application of these strategies and techniques in clinical practice.

NOTE: We encourage manuscripts specifically addressing low back pain to be submitted to the topic Global Advances in the Diagnosis, Management, and Treatment of Low Back Pain.

Keywords: chronic pain, pain management, multimodal pain management, chronic pain pathology, chronic pain therapy

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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