This article reviews the pharmacologic management of osteoarthritis, low back pain, and neuropathic
pain. In order to manage chronic pain appropriately, pharmacologic management,
such as adequate drug selection, is the most important in clinical situations. Pain is classified as
nociceptive, neuropathic, or mixed pain according to its mechanism. For effective pain control,
we choose analgesics depending on adequate evaluation and understanding of the pathophysiology
of pain. Nociceptive pain like osteoarthritis is controlled by acetaminophen, nonsteroidal
antiinflammatory drugs, and opioids according to the pain intensity. However, our recommendation
for neuropathic pain is antidepressants and anticonvulsants as first line treatments. Low
back pain arises from nociceptive and neuropathic mechanisms, classified as mixed pain
syndrome. Therefore, the rational management of low back pain targets the different mechanisms
of pain by combining agents with different mechanisms of action.