Interventional Techniques and Medical Management of Spasticity and Pain after Stroke and Other Neurological Disorders

Pain in patients with neurological disorders may arise from multiple and overlapping mechanisms. After stroke, patients may experience central post-stroke pain, shoulder pain, painful spasticity, contractures, complex regional pain syndrome, peripheral nerve entrapments, or musculoskeletal overload due to abnormal posture and motor impairment. Similar mechanisms may occur in other neurological diseases, where spasticity, paresis, sensory abnormalities, immobility, and altered motor control contribute to chronic pain and functional limitation. Management often requires integration of clinical assessment, instrumental evaluation, rehabilitation planning, pharmacological treatment – including co-analgesics and adjuvant agents for central and peripheral neuropathic pain, and spasmolytics for spasticity-related symptoms – focal chemodenervation, nerve blocks, intrathecal therapies, and other interventional procedures. A clearer understanding of how to select and combine these interventions is needed to optimize outcomes.Spasticity and pain are frequent and disabling complications after stroke and in several neurological disorders, including traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, and neurodegenerative diseases. These conditions often coexist and may negatively affect mobility, posture, sleep, rehabilitation outcomes, quality of life, and caregiver burden. Despite advances in pharmacological, rehabilitative, and interventional approaches, the assessment and treatment of spasticity-related pain, neuropathic pain, and musculoskeletal pain in neurological patients remain complex. This Research Topic aims to collect high-quality contributions on diagnostic strategies, interventional techniques, and multidisciplinary management models – with particular attention to pharmacological approaches such as co-analgesics for (central) neuropathic pain and spasmolytics for spasticity – in patients with stroke and other neurological conditions. The goal is to promote mechanism-based, patient-centered, and function-oriented approaches that improve pain control, reduce disability, and support neurorehabilitation.This Research Topic welcomes original research, systematic reviews, narrative reviews, clinical trials, brief research reports, case series, methods papers, perspectives, and opinion articles addressing spasticity and pain in stroke and other neurological disorders. Topics of interest include botulinum toxin treatment, phenol or alcohol neurolysis, peripheral nerve blocks, intrathecal baclofen, neuromodulation, ultrasound-guided interventions, pain and spasticity assessment scales, gait and movement analysis, rehabilitation protocols, multidisciplinary care pathways, pharmacological strategies including co-analgesics and spasmolytics, post-stroke shoulder pain, central neuropathic pain, spasticity-related musculoskeletal pain, patient-reported outcomes, functional recovery, and quality of life. Contributions focusing on personalized treatment algorithms, combined interventional, pharmacological, and rehabilitative approaches, and real-world clinical practice are particularly encouraged. Topic editors: Salvatore Facciorusso, Stefania Spina, MIRKO FILIPPETTI Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/83068/interventional-techniques-and-medical-management-of-spasticity-and-pain-after-stroke-and-other-neurological-disorders