Fibromyalgia and centralized pain in the rheumatoid arthritis patient.

Source: Curr Opin Rheumatol 2023 Feb 13; . doi: 10.1097/BOR.0000000000000929Authors: Minhas D, Murphy A, Clauw DJ

Individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have traditionally been characterized as having nociceptive pain, leading to the assumption that effective immunosuppression should be enough to provide effective pain management. However, despite therapeutic advancements providing excellent control of inflammation, patients continue to have significant pain and fatigue. The presence of concurrent fibromyalgia, driven by augmented central nervous system processing and largely unresponsive to peripheral therapies, may contribute to this pain persistence. This review provides updates on fibromyalgia and RA as relevant for the clinician.

Pubmed ID: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36795021/