Headache, low back pain, other nociceptive and mixed pain conditions in neurorehabilitation. Evidence and recommendations from the Italian Consensus Conference on Pain in Neurorehabilitation

Eur J Phys Rehabil Med. 2016 Dec;52(6):867-880. Epub 2016 Nov 10.

Abstract

Pain is a disabling symptom and is often the foremost symptom of conditions for which patients undergo neurorehabilitation. We systematically searched the PubMed and Embase electronic databases for current evidence on the frequency, evolution, predictors, assessment, and pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment of pain in patients with headache, craniofacial pain, low back pain, failed back surgery syndrome, osteoarticular pain, myofascial pain syndrome, fibromyalgia, and chronic pelvic pain. Despite the heterogeneity of published data, consensus was reached on pain assessment and management of patients with these conditions and on the utility of a multidisciplinary approach to pain therapy that combines the benefits of pharmacological therapy, physiotherapy, neurorehabilitation, and psychotherapy. We of the Italian Consensus Conference on Pain in Neurorehabilitation (ICCPN) suggest a need to conduct randomized controlled trials on the efficacy of pain treatments and their risk-benefit profile for the conditions we have reviewed.

Publication types

  • Consensus Development Conference

MeSH terms

  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Evidence-Based Medicine
  • Headache / rehabilitation*
  • Humans
  • Italy
  • Low Back Pain / rehabilitation*
  • Neurological Rehabilitation / methods*
  • Nociceptive Pain / rehabilitation*
  • Outcome Assessment, Health Care
  • Pain Management / methods*
  • Pain Measurement*
  • Translational Research, Biomedical