Thoracalgia in neurological practice: issues regarding the optimization of patient management

   The management of patients with chest pain (thoracalgia) is one of the pressing issues in modern medicine. This paper presents a clinical case study of the comprehensive management of an elderly female patient with thoracalgia, which involved an optimal combination of pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods, with follow-up over a period of 2.5 years. Previously, the patient had not experienced any long-term benefit from treatment; she had developed misconceptions about the condition and effective treatment methods, was not adhering to ergonomic guidelines, and exhibited pain-avoidance behaviour. The comprehensive approach included educational discussions on the causes, factors contributing to chronic pain, and prognosis; individual kinesiotherapy (therapeutic exercises); recommendations on optimal physical activity and ergonomics; and the prescription of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug Nimesil (nimesulide). A sustained reduction in pain was achieved over a period of 2.5 years. A comprehensive approach aimed at correcting identified ergonomic issues and fostering a correct understanding of the causes and prognosis of the condition, combined with individual kinesiotherapy and optimal pharmacotherapy with Nimesil (nimesulide), enabled a relatively rapid and sustained reduction in pain and an improvement in the patient’s functional activity. Issues regarding the optimization of patient management in cases of chronic thoracalgia are discussed.

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