Editorial – Musculoskeletal pain: Which role for tapentadol?

Chronic pain is defined as pain persisting after healing of an underlying pathology or as persisting pain in the absence of tissue damage. In the last decade, the understanding of mechanisms involved in chronic pain led to an improved approach to patient management, with the aim to reduce discomfort, improve quality of life (QoL) and enhance functional recovery. Chronic musculoskeletal pain, which is frequently encountered in clinical practice, can affect patients of all ages and is particularly common in older patients. Indeed, low back pain is the most frequent chronic pain condition worldwide, with a lifetime prevalence of >70% in western countries1,2. Neck pain is also a common disabling disease, with a prevalence of 23%, and is associated with high costs for medical visits and physiotherapy. Both low back pain and neck pain involve nociceptive and neuropathic pain mechanisms