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Different therapeutic modalities are available for the treatment of rheumatic pain. The most important one, besides physiotherapy, is medication with analgesics and adjuvant drugs. Analgesics are given orally and by a stepwise approach in keeping with the principles of cancer pain therapy. In the first step nonopioid analgesics are prescribed, especially non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) if pain is caused by inflammation. Other nonopioid analgesics, which can be used as alternatives for patients with non-inflammatory pain, are metamizol and paracetamol. Weak or even strong opioids must be administered to patients with rheumatic diseases when pain relief is insufficient or side-effects occur during medication with non-opioids. Long-term treatment of rheumatic pain even with strong opioids such as oral morphine involves only a small risk of severe side-effects such as respiratory depression or the development of tolerance and drug abuse. Patients often suffer from constipation, nausea and vomiting, but these side-effects can be treated with laxatives and antiemetic drugs. There is no reason to differentiate between opioid medication in a cancer patient with pain and in a patient with "non-malignant" rheumatic pain. Centrally acting muscle relaxants may be helpful as adjuvant medication in patients with myalgia for example, and tricyclic antidepressants can also be beneficial, especially in neuropathic pain and for patients with psychiatric distress associated with pain.