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Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
World J Clin Cases. May 26, 2026; 14(15): 120217
Published online May 26, 2026. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v14.i15.120217
Chronic musculoskeletal pain disorder and its associated mental health conditions, comorbidities and psychosocial risk predictors
Sherifa Ahmed Hamed, Eman Ahmed Hamed, Mohamed Fawzy
Sherifa Ahmed Hamed, Mohamed Fawzy, Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University Hospitals, Assiut 71516, Assiut, Egypt
Eman Ahmed Hamed, Department of Rheumatology and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut 71516, Assiut, Egypt
Author contributions: Hamed SA designed the study, conducted data collection and neurological evaluations of the patients, administered diagnostic questionnaires, and contributed to statistical analyses and manuscript drafting; Hamed EA conducted rheumatologic evaluation and participated in data acquisition and analysis; Fawzy M conducted psychiatric interviews, participated in data acquisition, analysis, and interpretation; Hamed EA and Fawzy M critically revised the article for important intellectual content.
Institutional review board statement: The study protocol adhered to the Helsinki Declaration and received approval from the local Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt (No. AU-CMP-000264_2022).
Informed consent statement: All study participants provided informed written consent prior to study enrollment.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors have no conflicts of interest to report.
STROBE statement: The authors have read the STROBE Statement—checklist of items, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the STROBE Statement—checklist of items.
Data sharing statement: Data can be available upon reasonable request.
Corresponding author: Sherifa Ahmed Hamed, MD, Professor, Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University Hospitals, Assiut University Mall, Assiut 71516, Assiut, Egypt. hamedsherifa@aun.edu.eg
Received: February 24, 2026
Revised: March 13, 2026
Accepted: April 8, 2026
Published online: May 26, 2026
Processing time: 82 Days and 7.2 Hours
Core Tip

Core Tip: Chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) is a common condition affecting 20%-30% of adults worldwide, with a higher prevalence in females. It manifests as persistent pain in muscles, bones, joints, tendons, or ligaments lasting over three months. CMP is a complex issue with medical, psychological, and psychosocial risk factors. It is also known as psychogenic musculoskeletal pain. Diagnosis of CMP requires a comprehensive evaluation by specialists and diagnostic tests. Treatment options include medications, physiotherapy, and psychotherapy. Researchers suggest that psychogenic pain involves intricate neurobiological and biopsychosocial elements. Cultural considerations in pain reporting and expression are essential in managing patients with CMP.

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