Management of chronic pain is a real challenge, and current treatments that focus on blocking neurotransmission in the pain pathway have resulted in limited success.
An association between chronic non-inflammatory visceral pain and microglial function, similar to that which links somatic pain and microglial activation, has not been demonstrated previously.
Accumulating evidence shows that persistent changes in spinal astrocytes in different chronic pain conditions often outlast microglial changes.
Dysregulated production of these cytokines has been associated with several autoimmune disorders and chronic inflammatory processes.
We suggest that studying a more parsimonious case definition - impairing chronic fatigue not due to a known cause - would represent a way forward.
The possibility of chronic, residual impairment from which a person never completely recovers is real.
Managing chronic back pain : impact of an interdisciplinary team approach.
Furthermore, it has been suggested that in chronic schizophrenia progressively enhanced susceptibility to psychotic state and relapse occurs.
