JO

Journal of Pain

The Journal of Pain is the official journal of the U.S. Association for the Study of Pain and publishes original articles, reviews, and focus articles on all aspects of pain, including basic, translational, and clinical research, epidemiology, education, and health policy.

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Subject Clinical Neurology, Neurosciences
Impact Factor 4
Quartile Q1
Open Access Type Hybrid
ISSN 1526-5900
eISSN 1528-8447
Invitation Only No
Cost Range USD 4180 APC for open access articles, excluding taxes; society members receive a 26.32% discount.

Submission Instructions

Journal of Pain accepts the following article types. Click on an article type to view submission instructions.

Original Research Articles

Cover Letter A cover letter is required. Cover letter must include the corresponding author's contact information, disclose any conflicts of interest or state that none exist, and state that all authors are listed and have contributed substantially to the manuscript.
Abstract An abstract is required. Abstract must not exceed 250 words. Abstract must be unstructured in a single paragraph without subheadings. A 50-word Perspective must appear at the end of the abstract, followed by five key words.
Manuscript The Introduction must be limited to 600 words and the Discussion must be limited to 1500 words. Manuscript must include Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, and Discussion sections, with the Discussion including Limitations, Future Directions, Implications, and Conclusion. Manuscript must include a Perspective, five key words, disclosure and author contributions sections, and an AI-use declaration before the references if generative AI was used in manuscript preparation.
References References must follow AMA formatting guidelines. References must be cited in the text using superscript numbers and listed in numbered order of first citation, with the first three authors listed followed by "et al" for references with seven or more authors and DOIs included where relevant.
Figures & Tables For review, figures and tables must be placed next to the relevant text in the single file, but table files must be uploaded separately and figures and tables must not be embedded in the revised manuscript Word file. Figure legends must be provided in numerical order after the disclosures and before the references, and all figures and tables must be cited and numbered consecutively in the text.
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Systematic Reviews

Cover Letter A cover letter must be included. The cover letter must include the corresponding author's contact information, disclose conflicts of interest or state that none exist, and state that all authors are listed and contributed substantially.
Abstract An abstract is required. The abstract must not exceed 250 words. The abstract must be unstructured as one paragraph without subheadings. The abstract must concisely state the purpose, main findings, and conclusions, and systematic reviews must include registration information at the end of the abstract.
Manuscript The Introduction must be limited to 600 words and the Discussion must be limited to 1500 words. The manuscript must include Materials and Methods, Results, and Discussion sections, with the Discussion including Limitations, Future Directions, Implications, and Conclusion. The manuscript must include a Perspective of up to 50 words, five key words, CRediT author contributions, a disclosure section, and an AI-use declaration before the references if generative AI was used.
References References must follow AMA style. References must be numbered in order of first citation, cited in the text with superscript numbers, include DOIs where relevant, and list the first three authors followed by "et al" when there are seven or more authors.
Figures & Tables For initial review, figures and tables must be placed next to the relevant text in the single file, but tables must be uploaded separately and figures and tables must not be embedded in the revised Word manuscript. Figure legends must be provided in numerical order before the references, and all figures and tables must be cited in the text in consecutive order.
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Other Reviews

Cover Letter A cover letter must be included with the submission. The cover letter must include the corresponding author's contact information, disclose any conflicts of interest or state that none exist, and state that all authors are listed and have contributed substantially to the manuscript.
Abstract An abstract is required. The abstract must not exceed 250 words. The abstract must be unstructured and presented as a single paragraph without subheadings.
Manuscript The manuscript must be divided into clearly defined sections and include Materials and Methods, Results, and Discussion, with the Discussion including Limitations, Future Directions, Implications, and Conclusion. The manuscript must include a Perspective of up to 50 words, five key words, author contribution and disclosure sections, and an AI-use declaration before the references if generative AI was used in manuscript preparation.
References References must follow AMA style. References must be numbered in the order first cited, cited in the text with superscript numbers, include DOIs where relevant, and list only the first three authors followed by et al for works with seven or more authors.
Figures & Tables For review, figures and tables must be placed next to the relevant text in the single file, but for revised Word submissions figures and tables must not be embedded in the manuscript file. Each figure and table must be cited in consecutive order in the text, and figure legends must be provided in numerical order before the references.
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Letters To The Editor

Cover Letter A cover letter must be included with the submission. The cover letter must include the corresponding author's contact information, disclose conflicts of interest or state none, and state that all authors are listed and have contributed substantially to the manuscript.
Abstract Abstract requirements are not specified.
Manuscript Letters to the Editor should be limited to 500 words or fewer. Letters to the Editor must comment on articles published in the journal within the last 6 months. The letter must include a 50- to 100-word author biography or statement of expertise, a 50-word description of how it advances the conversation beyond the original article, and a Declaration of AI Usage at the end if AI was used.
References References must follow AMA style. References must be numbered in the order first cited in the text, cited using superscript numbers, and list the first three authors followed by "et al" when there are seven or more authors.
Figures & Tables In the review file, figures and tables must be placed next to the relevant text.
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Focus Articles

Cover Letter A cover letter is required. Cover letter must include the corresponding author's contact information, note any conflicts of interest or state that none are present, state that all authors are listed and contributed substantially, and state whether manuscripts from the same study were submitted or published.
Abstract An abstract is required. Abstract must be 250 words or less. Abstract must be unstructured and presented as one paragraph without subheadings. A 50-word Perspective must appear at the end of the abstract, followed by five key words.
Manuscript Focus Articles are typically 3,000 to 4,500 words. Manuscript must be divided into clearly defined sections and include Materials and Methods, Results, and Discussion, with the Discussion including Limitations, Future Directions, Implications, and Conclusion. Manuscript must include five key words, an authorship contributions section, a disclosure section, and an AI-use declaration section before the references if generative AI was used in manuscript preparation.
References References must follow AMA formatting guidelines. References must be presented as a numbered list in the order first cited in the text using superscript numbers, and for works with seven or more authors only the first three authors should be listed followed by "et al".
Figures & Tables For initial review, figures and tables must be placed next to the relevant text in the single file, but table files must be uploaded separately and figures and tables must not be embedded within the revised Word manuscript. Each figure and table must be cited in the text in consecutive order, with the corresponding caption placed directly below each figure or table in the single review file.
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Recent Publications

The association between diverse dietary quality measures and the presence of acute or chronic pain in the UK Biobank

Ömer Elma, Christopher Long, Jo Nijs, Sumanto Haldar, Jonathan Williams, Marcus Beasley, Xue Jiang, Gary J. Macfarlane

10.1016/j.jpain.2026.106331
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Peritraumatic C-reactive protein levels predict pain outcomes following traumatic stress exposure in a sex-dependent manner

Lauren A. McKibben, Miranda N. Layne, Liz M. Albertorio-Sáez, Ying Zhao, Erica M. Branham, Stacey L. House, Francesca L. Beaudoin, Xinming An, Jennifer S. Stevens, Thomas C. Neylan, Gari D. Clifford, Laura T. Germine, Kenneth A. Bollen, Scott L. Rauch, John P. Haran, Alan B. Storrow, Christopher Lewandowski, Paul I. Musey, Phyllis L. Hendry, Sophia Sheikh, Christopher W. Jones, Brittany E. Punches, Robert A. Swor, Lauren A. Hudak, Jose L. Pascual, Mark J. Seamon, Elizabeth M. Datner, David A. Peak, Roland C. Merchant, Robert M. Domeier, Niels K. Rathlev, Brian J. O'Neil, Leon D. Sanchez, Steven E. Bruce, John F. Sheridan, Steven E. Harte, Ronald C. Kessler, Karestan C. Koenen, Kerry J. Ressler, Samuel A. McLean, Sarah D. Linnstaedt

10.1016/j.jpain.2026.106326
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Structural network dysfunction and aberrant SC-FC coupling correlate with central post-stroke pain of thalamic origin

Chen Ye, Biqiu Tang, Junfeng Liu, Wendan Tao, William Robert Kwapong, Hang Wang, Ruosu Pan, Tang Yang, Yuying Yan, Youjie Wang, Shuai Jiang, Shuting Zhang, Xiaocheng Wei, Miaoqi Zhang, Ming Liu, Na Hu, Su Lui, Bo Wu

10.1016/j.jpain.2026.106341
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When one plus one doesn’t equal two: a commentary on strengthening the care of young people experiencing comorbid chronic pain and mental health conditions

Helen Slater, Nardia-Rose Klem, Susan M. Lord, Kathryn A. Birnie, Melanie Noel, Erma Pratiwi Nufi, Peter B. O’Sullivan, Robert Schütze, Scott D. Tagliaferri, Jennifer N. Stinson, Gabriel Van Duinen, Valentina Baltag, Marsha Campbell-Yeo, Andrew M. Briggs

10.1016/j.jpain.2026.106414
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Ownership and cognitive connectedness with placebo objects predict pain-related behavoiral responses—evidence from two randomized controlled studies

Sze Ki Rose Ng, Eric Kenson Yau, Wang On Li, Victoria Wai Lan Yeung

10.1016/j.jpain.2026.106406
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Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to publish?

8 days from submission to first decision; 47 days from submission to decision after review; 147 days from submission to acceptance; 5 days from acceptance to online publication.

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Is a cover letter required?

A cover letter is required. It must include corresponding author contact information, conflicts of interest or a statement that none exist, a statement that all authors are listed and contributed substantially, and whether related manuscripts from the same study were submitted or published. Authors may optionally suggest three potential reviewers with contact information.

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What are the publication costs?

Open access APC: USD 4180 excluding taxes. Subscription publication has no open access publication fee.

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Research Topics

Pain Mechanisms and Treatments Musculoskeletal pain and rehabilitation Pain Management and Opioid Use Pediatric Pain Management Techniques Pain Management and Placebo Effect Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Research Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Diverse Scientific and Economic Studies Pain Management and Treatment Anesthesia and Pain Management Spine and Intervertebral Disc Pathology Botulinum Toxin and Related Neurological Disorders Neuropeptides and Animal Physiology Human auditory perception and evaluation Educational Robotics and Engineering Cancer Treatment and Pharmacology Marriage and Sexual Relationships Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions Myofascial pain diagnosis and treatment Migraine and Headache Studies Ferroelectric and Negative Capacitance Devices Big Data and Digital Economy Acupuncture Treatment Research Studies Cancer, Stress, Anesthesia, and Immune Response Health Systems, Economic Evaluations, Quality of Life

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