Advances in diagnosis, classification, and management of pain in Parkinson’s disease

Abstract

With over 10 million people affected worldwide, Parkinson’s disease is the fastest-growing neurological disorder. More than two-thirds of people with Parkinson’s disease live with chronic pain, which can manifest in various stages of the disease, substantially affecting daily activities and quality of life. The Parkinson’s disease Pain Classification System overcomes the limitations of previous classification systems by distinguishing between pain related to Parkinson’s disease and unrelated pain, while also incorporating clinical and pathophysiological (mechanistic) descriptors such as nociceptive, neuropathic, and nociplastic pain. This system provides a framework for accurate diagnosis and mechanism-based therapy. Alongside the appropriate classification of pain, consideration of treatment approaches that include non-invasive (pharmacological and non-pharmacological) and invasive strategies tailored to specific types of pain will refine and inform research trials and clinical practice when it comes to treating pain in Parkinson’s disease.