GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF TREATMENT FOR MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN: INTERDISCIPLINARY CONSENSUS

Abstract

The main manifestation of joint and spine diseases, such as osteoarthritis, nonspecific back pain, and soft tissue rheumatic disorders, is musculoskeletal pain (MSP). It leads to considerable morbidity as well as temporary and permanent disability in millions of people of our country. These people need adequate medical care and most significantly a prompt and maximally complete analgesia. Unfortunately, serious problems are being faced in this field of medicine. The lack of a unified approach or continuity in the therapeutic process, inadequate knowledge of the pathogenesis of MSP and of the possibilities of its therapy may substantially hamper the work of practitioners.The meeting of Russian experts who were represented in different medical specialties and discussed the optimization of MSP treatment policy was held in Moscow on 20 June 2015. According to the results of the meeting, the authors identified the main points regarding the theoretical and practical aspects of MSP and also proposed an algorithm for the treatment of this pathology. It seems that the use of this algorithm will be able to facilitate the work of practitioners and to enhance the efficiency and safety of analgesic therapy.

Keywords

• musculoskeletal pain
• osteoarthritis
• nonspecific back pain
• analgesic therapy
• interdisciplinary consensus