Musculoskeletal pain is chronic or acute pain affecting muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments, and nerves. Billions of people suffer from this pain, with lower back pain being the single leading cause of disorder in 160 countries. It is typically characterized by pain and limitation in agility and mobility, reducing people's ability to work and participate in social activities.
Musculoskeletal condition is characterized by pain in various body parts such as Bones, Joints, Muscles, and Multiple body parts, including inflammatory diseases. Osteoarthritis (O.A.) is the most common joint disorder, affecting 32.5 million adults in the U.S.United States.
Osteoarthritis affects 13.9% of people over 24 and 33.6% over 64. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disorder of the joint in which joint tissue breaks down over time. People with O.A. usually have joint pain that stiffens for a short period after rest or inactivity.
The causes of musculoskeletal pain can vary. Muscle tissue can be destroyed with wear and tear during daily activities. Also, change in body posture or poor body mechanics may cause spinal alignment disorder and muscle shortening, causing other muscles to be overused and painful.
Rest symptoms vary with the individual, but common symptoms include sleep disturbances, muscle cramps, fatigue, aching and stiffness, pain with mobility, bruising, swelling, and soreness.
Tapentadol is an oral opioid analgesic that acts as an agonist of the -opioid receptor and as a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor for treating moderate to severe acute pain. In patients with chronic pain from Fibromyalgia, the increase in inhibition of endogenous pain by Tapentadol was translated into analgesia in patients with a normal CNFS.
Tapentadol is an alternative for patients who do not respond quickly to commonly prescribed opioid analgesics. This medicine is unsafe for pregnant or breastfeeding women and should inform about the same to the healthcare practitioner.
Tapentadol is highly effective in the following conditions-
Musculoskeletal pain is a common medical problem worldwide that affects people of all ages but is particularly common in older patients. Specifically, lower back pain is more frequent chronic pain, with a prevalence of more than 70% in western countries, and neck pain, another type of musculoskeletal pain, is also a common disabling disorder, with a majority of 23%. Both these disorders involve neuropathic and nociceptive pain mechanisms.
Tapentadol E.R. provided effective and well-tolerated treatment of severe chronic O.A. pain concerning the incidence of specific adverse events. The favorable tolerability profile supports Tapentadol E.R. as a treatment option before other opioids.
The two most commonly used chronic pain medications are Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and opioid analgesics. Tapentadol is a novel opioid pharmacotherapy with a dual mechanism of action and provides efficacy of the potent opioid and improved Safety with good tolerability compared to other analgesics.
Tapentadol exerts minimal serotoninergic action and has a reliable pharmacokinetic profile that makes drug-drug interaction unlikely.
The optimal choice of pharmacotherapy depends on the type of pain syndrome. For treating musculoskeletal pain with multiple joints, Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are also considered the drug of choice other than opioid analgesics.
Topical NSAIDs may be used in case of localized arthritis or case of focal myofascial pain conditions. Where opioids are highly effective for acute nociceptive pain, their use in chronic pain is uncertain. Combination therapy, including antidepressant and anti-seizure medications, is often used, particularly for patients with neoplastic or centralized pain.
The treatment choice should be based on individual pain conditions (if known), patient-specific characteristics, patient values, medication side effect profiles, and preferences. The preferences also influence the narrower choice of drug within a class about side effects, dosing frequency, and patient's age. Cyclobenzaprine is another alternative initial drug for patients with mild to moderate Fibromyalgia symptoms.
Tizanidine and cyclobenzaprine are best suited for individuals with acute low back pain but with minimal evidence of efficacy for chronic back pain.
Tramadol is a mixed-mechanism opioid with a weak affinity for the mu-opioid receptor and serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibition. Like other opioids, it may be used as a second-line agent for patients with Fibromyalgia who have not responded to initial therapy with other agents.
Immediate-release tablet or oral solution:
Opioid-naive patients:
Opioid-experienced patients:
Opioid-naive patients:
Side effects are a part of medication that can be affected by the people who consume it. The effects are differentiated into two variations such as standard and severe. As common effects can be cured as time passes, severe effects should be considered, and medical emergencies should be taken as soon as possible.
Common Side Effects | Severe Side Effects |
Constipation | Shallow breathing |
nausea | Light-headedness |
Vomiting | Severe drowsiness |
Headache | Seizures |
Dizziness | Hallucination |
It is always helpful to take precautions if you are about to take any medicine. This will help you deal with unwanted side effects, and the working of the medication will be smooth without interruption.
It would be best to inform your doctor about your medical history and all the medicines you consumed to treat the condition. You should not take medication if you:
Chances of you consuming other medicine would interact with Tapentadol. So it is always necessary for you to get a prior understanding of medicines that would interact with Tapentadol.
Medicines that would Interact with Tapentadol are as follows:
Musculoskeletal pain is characterized as the most common medical problem worldwide. It might lead to a temporary or lifelong disability in function or participation as it affects various body parts such as muscles, bones, joints, and other details. Its symptoms may vary with the individual, but common symptoms include stiffness, swelling, tingling, or burning sensation.
Tapentadol is a highly effective opioid pharmacotherapy as it is safe, reliable, and well-tolerated with no possibility of drug-drug interactions. Apart from Tapentadol, there are other pharmacotherapy measures and natural remedies for treating musculoskeletal pain.