Therapeutic effects of physical agents in the treatment of chronic pain

Chronic pain is a physiological response to tissue damage, often associated with emotional reaction, somatic and autonomic disorders, and changes in behavior [1]. Therefore, it requires a multidisciplinary approach among which physical agents have a very important place [2, 3]. In order to apply adequate physical agents in the treatment of chronic pain, it is necessary to accurately determine pain characteristics, as well as to know the physiological mechanisms of action of the applied physical agent (Table 1) [4]. The explanation of therapeutic effects of physical agents is based on the theory of control and modulation of painful impulses at: 1) peripheral level (mechanosenEDITORIAL UVODNIK