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Pain 360 refers to a holistic, comprehensive 360-degree view of pain. The aim of the Pain 360 collaboration is to further foster interdisciplinary discussion and cross-fertilization to promote innovation. The goal of Pain 360 is specifically not to create yet another pain society. Rather it is to bring together discussants from all relevant pain and pain-related societies, as well as other important stakeholders, including patients and caregivers, to engage in constructive conversation.
In a world in which science advances and knowledge increases exponentially, there is a necessary and increasing trend toward the creation of societies that represent a specialized portion of that knowledge, thus facilitating deeper dives into specific areas. Accordingly, knowledge relating to the investigation and treatment of chronic pain has advanced in a spectacular way in recent years. However, it has become clear that alongside these efforts to “miniaturize” knowledge, a holistic vision is essential to allow the integration of all key elements, with the patient taking center stage in our performance. The possibility of a 360° vision, without ties or constraints, from basic science to clinical practice, always considering the translation to the human condition, is the motivation of this proposal for interactive professional discussion.
Frontiers in Pain Research, with its multifaceted Editorial Board structure covering nearly every aspect of the pain field, is a particularly appropriate vehicle for this endeavor. We are very grateful for the opportunity to present this initial offering on this platform.
While the original intention of this Research Topic was to highlight some presentations from a Pain 360 congress in Vienna, the in-person event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 shutdown. Several of the articles presented here are in part based on concepts that were to be presented at that meeting. Nevertheless, the discussion has continued virtually with, as of this writing, two webinars focusing on Pain Measurement. We hosted these sessions along with our other collaborator, Michael Gofeld, MD, PhD. The second webinar included Michelle M. Langer, MD, discussing PROMIS (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System) and Michael Fishman, MD, discussing the use of PROMIS in both patient-centered research and clinical care. Based upon feedback from these sessions, which included discussants with widely varied backgrounds and perspectives from over 80 countries, the next sessions are being planned.
This Research Topic in Frontiers in Pain Research introduces some emerging concepts that aim to provide a mechanistic bridge between basic and clinical pain science. The first is
In the final original research article,
Both authors contributed equally and are responsible for the content of this editorial. Both authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.
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