Focus on current and future management possibilities in inflammatory bowel disease-related chronic pain

• Published in: International journal of colorectal disease Vol. 34; no. 2; pp. 217 - 227
• Main Authors: Zielińska, Anna, Sałaga, Maciej, Włodarczyk, Marcin, Fichna, Jakub
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01-02-2019; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Abdominal Pain - complications; Abdominal Pain - therapy; Care and treatment; Chronic pain; Chronic Pain - complications; Chronic Pain - therapy; Colon; Gastroenterology; Gastrointestinal diseases; Health Planning Guidelines; Hepatology; Humans; Inflammation; Inflammatory bowel disease; Inflammatory bowel diseases; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases - complications; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases - therapy; Internal Medicine; Intestine; Management; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Pain; Pain Management; Proctology; Quality of life; Review; Surgery; Inflammatory bowel disease; Nociception; Pharmacotherapy; Chronic abdominal pain; Pain managemant
• ISSN: 0179-1958; 1432-1262
• DOI: 10.1007/s00384-018-3218-0

Introduction
Visceral pain is a symptom reported by over 70% of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) sufferers. So far, a single, specific cause of this debilitating state has not been established. Chronic pain is one of the most important factors decreasing the quality of life in IBD course. Concurrently, management of pain is the most challenging issue encountered by clinicians in IBD treatment.
Areas covered
This review focuses on pathophysiology of inflammatory bowel disease-caused visceral pain and explores currently available approaches to its management. We also covered recent pharmacological developments in the field.
Conclusions
Pain-related disability has major effects on quality of life and on functional and social outcomes in IBD patients. Currently, there is no one standardized method of managing chronic visceral pain in IBD. Therefore, future development, focusing primarily on alleviating the pain, but also on reducing inflammation, is essential.