This article is part of a series on
Arthritis and pain, edited by
Jason McDougall.
 ReviewArthritis and pain. Current approaches in the treatment of arthritic painBruce L Kidd  , Richard M Langford and Theresa Wodehouse William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and The London, Queen Mary School of Medicine and Dentistry, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK  author email corresponding author email
Arthritis Research & Therapy 2007,
9:214doi:10.1186/ar2147 Abstract
Current evidence suggests that although persistent arthritic pain is initiated and maintained by articular pathology, it is also heavily influenced by a range of other factors. Strategies for treating arthritic pain are therefore different from those adopted for acute pain. Although published guidelines offer general assistance, the complexity of underlying mechanisms requires that measures designed to relieve pain must take into account individual biological, psychological and societal factors. It follows that a combination of both pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches offers the best opportunity for therapeutic success, although determining the effectiveness of such complex interventions remains difficult. Pharmacological therapy is often prolonged, and safety and tolerability issues become as important as efficacy over time. | 
on Google Scholar
