Neurophysiology of arthritis pain.
Arthritis pain is a complex phenomenon involving intricate neurophysiological processing at all levels of the pain pathway. The treatment options available to alleviate joint pain are fairly limited and most arthritis patients report only modest pain relief with current treatments. A better understanding of the neural mechanisms responsible for musculoskeletal pain and the identification of new targets will help in the development of future pharmacological therapies. This article reviews some of the latest research into factors which contribute to joint pain and covers areas such as cannabinoids, proteinase activated receptors, sodium channels, cytokines and transient receptor potential channels. The emerging hypothesis that osteoarthritis may have a neuropathic component is also discussed.
Departments of Pharmacology and Anaesthesia, Dalhousie University, 5850, College Street, PO Box 15000, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada. jason.mcdougall@dal.ca
Jason J
JJ
McDougall
Patrick
P
Linton
D001168:Arthritis / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000502:physiology; D063388:Endocannabinoids / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D009482:Neurophysiology; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000150:complications; D044462:Receptors, Proteinase-Activated / Q000502:physiology; D015222:Sodium Channels / Q000502:physiology; D050051:Transient Receptor Potential Channels / Q000502:physiology
D016207:Cytokines; D063388:Endocannabinoids; D044462:Receptors, Proteinase-Activated; D015222:Sodium Channels; D050051:Transient Receptor Potential Channels