Understanding the Foundations: Systemic Inflammation’s Role in Chronic Axial Pain and Treatment Response
Abstract
Systemic inflammation plays a key role in chronic pain. Treatment success is linked to a downregulation of pro-inflammatory, and an upregulation of anti-inflammatory, cytokines. Chronic axial pain (CAP), often managed with temporary methods like intra-articular injections (IAI), may find a long-term solution with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), though its efficacy with IAI remains unclear. This study explores the relationship between plasma IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-a with treatment response in combined rTMS + IAI versus sham rTMS + IAI. Understanding this relationship could deepen our insight into chronic pain and its recovery. The study found no significant links between these cytokines and treatment response, nor did systemic cytokine levels correlate with pain intensity in either group. These results suggest that the relationship between systemic inflammation and pain response in CAP is complex. Our research contributes to the chronic pain management field and highlights the need for continued research and innovation.