Papers of the Week

Among children and adolescents, up to 40% will experience musculoskeletal pain (MP), which can significantly impair functional ability, reduce quality of life, cause emotional distress, and lead to sleeping disorders for both patients and their families. The first-line treatment often involves pharmacological interventions, even though there is a lack of evidence supporting the efficacy or the safety of this approach in this specific age group. Recent guidelines recommend the implementation of preventative strategies and physical tools as the first option to minimize the use of medications. We aimed to provide an expert opinion on the use of heat therapy for MP management in young patients.