Papers of the Week

We have read the article "The value of interdisciplinary treatment for sickness absence in chronic pain: A nationwide register-based cohort study" by LoMartire et al (1) with great interest but also great concern. We, a group of experienced specialists, clinicians and scientists in Pain Medicine, welcome well-designed good quality studies on the treatment of chronic pain, a major health problem. Valid evidence on the benefits of interventions is of great importance for healthcare and Society. A critical appraisal of current standard of care methods is certainly warranted in order to promote continuous improvement. However, the present study has in our opinion several critical issues to which we would like to draw your attention.