PAIN - Novel targets and new technologies (editorial)

Pain is a major health problem that significantly affects the quality of life of patients. It has a significant impact on both the sufferers and the broader community, imparting high health costs, and economic loss to society. The consensus among clinicians and researchers worldwide is that current strategies for the treatment of pain are inadequate. These inadequacies are even greater when chronic pain, which often accompanies chronic illnesses such as arthritis or nerve injury, is involved. Despite major advances in treatment strategies over the last two decades, pain management still remains a major challenge in arthritis; and even with treatment with current therapies, many patients still experience moderate-to-severe pain (Stein and Baerwald, 2013). Patients with rheumatoid arthritis report pain management as their highest priority (Whittle et al., 2013), and osteoarthritis is the leading cause of pain and physical disability in the elderly (Stein and Baerwald, 2013). The burden of disease, especially with osteoarthritis, is growing in relation to the aging population and the increasing levels of obesity in the world population. Similar concerns are growing for other types of pain.