The journal of pain

Neuroinflammation influences the development of chronic pain, an increasingly prevalent condition impacting the lives of many worldwide. Given the challenges of managing chronic pain, it is essential to explore new neuroimmune targets for t…

Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) affects 20% of women worldwide and is associated with substantial disability, yet its mechanisms remain unclear. Alterations in sensory or motor processing, and body perception, have been implicated in chronic pain…

Women with chronic pelvic pain (CPP) often experience stigma related to both their gender identity and chronic pain status, as symptoms are frequently dismissed, disbelieved, or attributed to psychological causes, negatively affecting care.…

Vulvodynia, vulvar pain of unknown etiology, lasting 3 months or longer, affects 7% of American women, and has no consistently effective treatment. We aimed to test the efficacy of acupuncture on vulvar pain and dyspareunia and explore the …

Chronic pain is exacerbated in individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and often difficult to manage. Binge levels of ethanol intake during adolescence promotes AUD and comorbid chronic pain in adulthood. We and others have consistently…

Emerging research indicates the potential of psychological pain management programs to address disability and distress associated with endometriosis-related pain. Understanding the characteristics of patients likely to benefit from such pro…

Disparities in care and management of pain among racial groups have been demonstrated in various studies. Chronic overlapping pain conditions (COPCs) have yet to be examined. This was an observational cohort study of Medicare beneficiaries …

This study investigates changes in regional homogeneity (ReHo) of the brain in patients with adenomyosis accompanied by dysmenorrhea (AMD) before and after uterine artery embolization (UAE) surgery. ReHo is a resting-state functional magnet…

Recurrent acute and chronic pancreatitis (RAP, CP) are complex, progressive inflammatory diseases with variable pain experiences impacting patient function and quality of life. The genetic variants and pain pathways in patients contributing…

Abdominal and pelvic pain are common symptoms prompting medical care, yet little is known about their associated medical expenditures in the U.S. This study estimated the overall and age-specific incremental medical expenditures associated …

There is increasing recognition that nociplastic pain and central sensitization may play a role in endometriosis-associated pain. The Pain Sensitivity Questionnaire Minor (PSQ-M) evaluates subjective widespread pain sensitivity, and is link…

The use of electronic health records (EHR) for chronic pain phenotyping has gained significant attention in recent years, with various algorithms being developed to enhance accuracy. Structured data fields (e.g., pain intensity, treatment m…

While coping with the heavy patient demands of chronic pain requires psychological resilience, its core mechanisms have not been systematically studied in high-impact pain disorders like Urologic Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (UCPPS). Applyi…

Vestibulodynia (VBD) is a common chronic primary pain condition (CPPC) defined by the presence of recurrent vulvovaginal pain with no obvious root cause. As many as 3 in 4 women with VBD may have co-occurring CPPCs, such as episodic migrain…

Both endocannabinoid (EC) and endogenous opioid systems are involved in nociceptive processing and may work together synergistically based on preclinical models. This study evaluated the interactive effects of preoperative beta-endorphin (B…

To correlate pain-related phenotyping for central nervous system sensitization in endometriosis-associated pain with mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic, the prospective Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain Interdisciplinary Cohort…

Endometriosis is a gynecological disease that involves a broad biopsychosocial compromise with the potential to create a negative vicious cycle. Despite the complexity of factors influencing women's improvement, most interventions investiga…

Endometriosis-related pain may be associated with depressive symptoms. Although a growing body of evidence supports this association, the underlying mechanisms are still largely unclear. Impaired perceptions of bodily external and internal …

Chronic overlapping pain conditions (COPCs) by definition, frequently co-occur, perhaps reflecting their shared etiologies. Their overlapping nature presents a methodological challenge, possibly masking associations between COPCs and health…

Social determinants of health play a key role in health disparities. Dysmenorrhea is a highly prevalent and impactful public health problem affecting reproductive-age females. Systematically examining social determinants of health (SDoH) in…

Ten Chronic Overlapping Pain Conditions (COPCs) are currently recognized by the National Institutes of Health Pain Consortium (eg, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic migraine headache, and chronic low back pain). These conditions affect mill…

Given the limitations of medical treatment for endometriosis, self-management is a critical component of symptom management, and providing patients with information and education is a necessary complement to medical interventions. Though 50…

Exploring the relationship between nociplastic pain and the severity and impact of pelvic pain symptoms could lend insight into the heterogeneous symptom presentation and treatment response that complicates management of chronic pelvic pain…