Adapted from Lotze, M., & Moseley, L. (2015).
For many people living with arthritis, chronic pain is a common and debilitating symptom. Conventional rehabilitation of patients with chronic pain is often unsuccessful and can be challenging for the healthcare teams involved. Luckily, theoretical developments and advances in the understanding of the neurological aspects of chronic pain are changing these experiences.
Pain is now understood to exist within a truly biopsychosocial framework, consisting of both external and internal stimuli. These stimuli are modulated by a complex array of sensory inputs, and various cognitive, emotional and social factors. Not only do these factors contribute to how an individual will experience pain, they also provide potential targets for rehabilitation strategies.
This article provides an overview of the key aspects of modern pain rehabilitation, and clinical considerations that can help to effectively
engage, interact and treat patients experiencing chronic pain.