Purpose of review
Pain is one of the most common quality of life concerns in systemic sclerosis (SSc). This review summarizes the literature on risk factors and potential clinical assessment and treatment strategies.
Recent findings
SSc pain is associated with, but not defined by, disease parameters and severity. The extant literature suggests that psychosocial factors such as mental health are relevant to pain. Brief pain screenings can be followed by a more comprehensive assessment to help inform intervention strategies for affected patients. The literature on pain management is relatively small, but numerous studies and clinical practice recommendations suggest that there are multiple avenues for intervention. These include medical treatments, physical activity and rehabilitation programs, and psychotherapeutic techniques.
Summary
There are many promising approaches to SSc pain treatment. Future research should include systematic evaluation of treatments that have been proposed in SSc and/or have demonstrated efficacy in other chronic pain or rheumatic samples. Particular attention should be paid to treatments that include a non-pharmacological component and are more easily accessible for patients.