Beginning the treatment of musculoskeletal pain.

The selection of appropriate therapy for the management of musculoskeletal pain requires understanding the general principles of pain management and recognizing the importance of using both nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic modalities. Aspects to consider include the type of pain, its intensity and duration, presence of comorbidities and/or use of concomitant medications, patient age, likelihood of adverse effects, psychosocial factors, past pain treatments, patient preferences, and costs.