Inflammatory vs Neuropathic Pain in Axial Spondyloarthritis

Oct 15, 2018

The presence of either type of pain may reflect higher disease activity and greater functional limitation.

Reference1. Ji Y, He Y, Nian X, Sun E, Li L. Inflammatory or neuropathic pain: characteristics and their relationships with disease activity and functional status in axial spondyloarthritis patients. Pain Med. 2018 Jul 17. doi:10.1093/pm/pny138. [Epub ahead of print]

Ji and fellow researchers in China found that the presence of inflammatory back pain (IBP) or neuropathic pain (NP) in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) may reflect higher disease activity and greater functional limitation along with more severe pain.¹ Scroll through the slides for the details of their study and the take-home points for physicians.

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axSpA, axial spondyloarthritis.

Pain intensity, pain interference, and pain sites were measured with the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI). Pain quality was assessed with the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ). Disease activity was measured using established standardized means (C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index) as was functional status (Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrology Index).

axSpA, axial spondyloarthritis; BMI, body mass index; IBP, inflammatory back pain; NP, neuropathic pain; NSAID, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; TNF, tumor necrosis factor.

Patients with inflammatory back pain described pain as cramping and tiring-exhausting, while patients with neuropathic pain described throbbing, stabbing, sharp, and hot-burning pain.

axSpA, axial spondyloarthritis; IBP, inflammatory back pain; NP, neuropathic pain; NSAID, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; TNF, tumor necrosis factor.