Book excerpt: This issue of Rheumatic Disease Clinics, guest edited by Dr. Maripat Corr, will discuss Pain in Rheumatic Diseases. This issue is one of four selected each year by series Consulting Editor, Dr. Michael Weisman. Topics discussed in this issue include, but are not limited to: Pain mechanisms in patients with rheumatic diseases, The back-pain assessment and treatment in clinical practice, Basic mechanisms of pain in osteoarthritis – experimental observations, NGF promise for management of pain in OA – clinical and experimental aspects, Pivotal role of pain in the lupus patient – cause or effect of poor outcomes, Cannabinoids-hope or hype for pain, Sex differences in Models of pain, Neuropathic pain in AS, and Relationship between inflammation and pain – RA as a model.