Pain and Chronic Pain Syndrome: Modern Approaches to Treatment
Abstract: The article discusses the characteristics of acute and chronic pain, the main causes of chronic pain syndrome, and the mechanisms underlying pain development. It also addresses the comprehensive treatment of chronic pain and the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Particular attention is paid to aceclofenac, the active ingredient of Unicetal, its anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, and its use in diseases accompanied by inflammation and pain.
Pain is a complex protective mechanism of the body that arises as a result of activation of the nociceptive system. Tissue damage, inflammatory processes, or mechanical impact lead to activation of peripheral pain receptors — nociceptors. The pain impulse is then transmitted to the central nervous system, where the subjective sensation of pain is formed.
The physiological function of pain is to warn the body of injury in a timely manner and trigger protective responses. At the same time, when pain syndrome persists for a long period, it may become an independent pathological condition and significantly reduce the patient’s quality of life.
According to duration, pain is classified as acute or chronic. Acute pain is a short-term symptom resulting from tissue damage, injury, surgical interventions, or inflammatory processes. Its main features are sudden onset, a clear relationship with the underlying cause, and a decrease in intensity after the damaging factor has been eliminated.
Chronic pain is a pain syndrome lasting more than 3 months and often accompanied by functional limitations. The most common causes of chronic pain include degenerative-inflammatory joint diseases, osteoarthritis, chronic spinal disorders, musculoskeletal syndromes, inflammatory diseases of the musculoskeletal system, and neuropathic conditions. It affects not only the patient’s physical condition, but also sleep, emotional state, physical activity, and social adaptation.
When tissues are damaged, inflammatory mediators, including prostaglandins, become activated. They increase the sensitivity of pain receptors and enhance transmission of the pain signal. Cyclooxygenase enzymes (COX-1 and COX-2) play an important role in prostaglandin synthesis. Inhibition of cyclooxygenase activity leads to reduced prostaglandin production, attenuation of the inflammatory process, and decreased pain intensity.
Effective treatment of chronic pain requires a comprehensive approach. It includes diagnosis and treatment of the underlying disease, reduction of the inflammatory process, restoration of the patient’s functional activity, and pharmacotherapy tailored to the patient’s individual characteristics. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) play an important role in inflammatory diseases of the musculoskeletal system. They have anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antipyretic effects.
Unicetal, manufactured by Unimed, belongs to the group of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The active ingredient is 100 mg of aceclofenac. It should be noted that aceclofenac has pronounced anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, which allows its use in the treatment of pain syndromes associated with inflammatory diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
The main effects of the drug include reducing the activity of the inflammatory process, decreasing pain intensity, improving joint functional activity, and improving the quality of life of patients with chronic diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Unicetal may be used as part of the comprehensive treatment of conditions accompanied by inflammation and pain, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid joint diseases, spinal pain, and inflammatory diseases of the muscles and joints.
The advantages of the drug include its convenient form of administration, the possibility of incorporating it into comprehensive treatment regimens, and its compliance with modern approaches to the treatment of inflammatory pain syndrome.
Pain control is one of the key objectives of modern medicine. Timely treatment of chronic inflammatory pain syndromes that can significantly limit a patient’s activity is particularly important. The use of modern anti-inflammatory drugs makes it possible to act not only on the pain symptom, but also on one of the main mechanisms underlying its development — the inflammatory process. Unicetal is one of the options for comprehensive treatment of patients with pain syndrome associated with inflammatory diseases.
B.Yu. Ernazarov, Director of Perfetto Pharm Co