Update on the management of pain in arthritis and the use of cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors.

Chronic pain from arthritis continues to be one of the biggest causes of disability and loss of function in the United States today. This is still the case despite many new insights into the pathophysiology of pain, effective treatment approaches, and new, safer medications that can be used long-term. There are many different types of arthritic problems. New disease-modifying agents that are available for some of these types of arthritic diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, have the potential to have a substantial impact on improvement in the long-term prognosis. Despite this optimistic outlook, pain often is a significant problem and should be treated whenever it becomes a barrier to function. To complicate treatment for this condition, the most widely used group of medications is under new scrutiny because of concerns regarding long-term detrimental side effects. A complete understanding of the risk factors for NSAIDs, specifically cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors, is still not available. But published data and new clinical guidelines still suggest that treatment for this large category of diseases can be effective and safe.