Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic
joint disease that represents an increasingly substantial global burden.
Joint pain is the most significant symptom of OA. Unfortunately, current pharmacological treatments for OA
pain are often not wholly efficacious, or are associated with serious adverse effects. This lack of effective
pain relief has seen the prescription of
opioids for OA
pain increase over the past decades. The
long-term adverse effects of prescribed
opioids alongside the increasing prevalence of OA
pain highlights the need for alternative
analgesics. Understanding the mechanisms that drive this chronic
joint pain is crucial for the development of novel
analgesics. OA is a heterogeneous disease, and this is reflected by the diversity of
pain phenotypes in people with the disease. Herein, we review current understanding of the
biological changes at the joint and within the central nervous system that drive this
chronic pain. We particularly focus on the most recent advances in our understanding of the peripheral nociceptive mechanisms that underlie chronic OA
pain and highlight how targeting peripheral OA
inflammation may open up opportunities for novel
analgesics.